As summer draws near, it's important to shift your focus to the exterior of your home. Completing essential cleaning and maintenance now ensures that your house, along with decks and patios, will be in excellent condition and ready to enjoy as soon as the warm weather arrives.
Fortunately, the list of pre-summer chores isn't overwhelming, and applying some outdoor cleaning tips can simplify the essential tasks. After all, nobody wants to spend more time on chores than necessary. Here's a compilation of important tasks to address before summer starts, along with expert advice on how to handle them more efficiently.
Streamlining Your Pre-Summer Outdoor Cleaning Tasks
Show your home some love by dedicating time to these key outdoor cleaning tasks, ensuring you're all set for summer. Regular cleaning and maintenance help prevent wear and tear on your home's exterior, saving you from more significant issues and costs down the line.
Here are the tasks that professionals recommend tackling now, along with their insights on making these chores easier.
1. Clear Out Gutters
Cleaning gutters ranks among the most dreaded summer cleaning tasks, but it's essential to complete it before summer hits. If gutters are clogged with debris, they won't function properly, causing water drainage issues. Even though summer typically brings less rain, maintaining clear gutters is still crucial.
This often-neglected task isn't pleasant. 'Cleaning gutters is a challenging job,' shares Deborah Lamberton from ASAP Restoration. 'It's dirty, it can smell unpleasant, and getting onto the roof to do it is risky.'
Fortunately, there's a way to clean gutters without climbing onto the roof. Deborah explains: 'Modern technology offers extendable hose attachments for pressure washing gutters from the ground, such as this gutter cleaning tool from Amazon.'
2. Eliminate Mold and Algae from Decking
Get your deck ready for enjoyment by removing mold and algae. These substances can not only lead to slips and falls but also make the area uninviting. Cleaning your deck before summer is essential.
To simplify this task, 'The secret to removing mold and algae is using a quality deck cleaner,' suggests Scott Paul from DeckStainHelp.com. 'Deck cleaners are formulated to loosen dirt and gray wood fibers while eliminating contaminants like mold and algae. If you don't use the right cleaner, the mold and algae will keep growing back quickly.'
'This is especially crucial if you plan to stain the deck,' he adds. 'Improper cleaning can trap mold and algae beneath new stain, leading to wood rot and decay.' A pressure washer can effectively clear debris from the deck, but you can also use a stiff brush if you don't have one.
3. Refresh the Exterior Paint
If your house's exterior is showing signs of wear with peeling or fading paint, addressing this issue is important to enhance your curb appeal and maintain your home's integrity.
Cleaning the surfaces before painting is vital; otherwise, the paint won't adhere properly. While this may seem daunting, there's a way to make it easier. 'Use a pressure washer (available for rent) to clean areas where the paint is peeling or looking dull,' advises realtor and curb appeal expert Eric Bramlett.
'The high-pressure water will remove failing paint and prepare a clean surface for touch-ups. Choose exterior paint that ensures good adhesion, grab an angled brush, and you can tackle those trouble spots without needing a full repaint. Don't forget to address any caulk failures around trim as well.'
And if you're curious how often to clean the exterior, plan for once or twice a year.
4. Care for Awnings
To ensure your home stays comfortably shaded during the hot months, it's important to clean and maintain your awnings.
'Inspecting the awning's frame and fabric helps identify any damages that could render it unusable during summer,' explains Mike Falahee, president of Marygrove awnings. 'While doing this, check for any rips or tears, and if you find any, fix them promptly.'
Awnings also require cleaning, and Mike shares a simple yet effective method: 'Avoid harsh chemicals when cleaning your awning. I find acetone works perfectly for refreshing awnings.'
5. Repair Patios and Decks
Patios and decks can sustain damage, so addressing any issues before summer makes maintenance much easier.
'Take a quick walk around the area, looking for splinters, deep cracks, or loose boards,' suggests Eric Bramlett. 'Highlight those areas with bright tape or chalk to concentrate your repairs.'
'For tiny hairline cracks, I recommend using a concrete crack sealer or wood putty that comes in a caulk-style tube, making the process much faster than mixing batches.' If your patio is grimy, avoid excessive use of a pressure washer. Instead, you can clean patio pavers without a pressure washer using soapy water and a stiff brush.
FAQ
How can I keep my outdoor living space tidy?
Regular sweeping of hard surfaces with a stiff broom will help maintain cleanliness. You can also hose them down as needed. Additionally, it's important to carry out tasks that deter pests. 'Removing old leaves, inspecting plants for pests, and eliminating debris near your house are crucial steps,' says Brett Bennett, director of operations at PURCOR Pest. 'This helps eliminate potential pest habitats.'
Check the condition of your outdoor furniture, as you might need to clean your outdoor furniture before the summer season. You can also brighten your yard with a fresh coat of paint on garden furniture. Now is also a great time to clean any outdoor rugs used on your patio or deck.
