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Inspiration
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Article
Home maintenance is often over looked when it comes to summer. Who wants to be indoors up-keeping their home when they can (hopefully) be enjoying the weather outside?
However, as well as being a great time to take advantage of the warm weather, it’s also ideal time to get your house in shape, as well as tackling a number of summer-specific maintenance jobs. In this guide, we’ve rounded up the following home maintenance tasks to check off your to-do list this summer.
Tackling the mould
Summer heat and humidity can sometimes cause mould and mildew to grow on the outside of your house. Luckily, it can be easily removed by scrubbing with a diluted bleach solution. Make sure you protect plants and shrubs first, pruning them away from the house to help prevent future mould growth.
A lick of paint
External timber naturally fades and discolours over time, under constant weathering; give it a new lease of life by cleaning, sanding and re-finishing it. Summer is an ideal time to do this as the warm dry weather allows the paint to bond better with the wood, making for a more durable finish.
As with any DIY job, preparation is key. If the timber is in good condition it will probably only require cleaning with warm water and soap, or sugar soap. If there is some slight damage, such as dints and holes, these can be filled using a good wood filler and sanded smooth. Yet if there is a heavy layer of old paint then the only solution may be to remove it completely, using either a chemical paint stripper or a heat gun in order to obtain a good surface on which to apply new paint.
Decking
Depending on the state of your decking and how often you clean it, decking can usually be brought back to life with a stiff brush – sweeping, repeatedly until clear. Then you can go ahead and wash the decking down, using a hose pipe or pressure-washer, to remove any additional built-up dirt. But for a more intense-clean, you can use a power spray or proprietary cleaner (as recommended by TDCA) to lift any stubborn stains.
To keep your decking looking the best it can be, you should protect your decking once a year. There are three main types of products that can help you do this: decking protector, decking stain and decking oil. Again summer is an ideal time to do this, due ot optimal drying-time.
You can read more about how to maintain the perfect decking all year round in our blog here.
Guttering
While emphasis is often put on painting and decorating in the Summer, other jobs like replacing guttering damaged through the bad months, are best carried out in the warmer, drier conditions that Summer offers.
If the guttering needs any replacements or cleaning, this should be done first to stop dirt and debris falling onto other areas you have just decorated. Drains and gutters should be regularly monitored to prevent any blockages or penetrating damp problems occurring.
And you?
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