Weekend tasks you should do around your home before August ends

The first long weekend in August is a great time to get some quick home maintenance tasks done. If you’re heading up to the cottage, you can use this post as a to-do list for next weekend or the weekend after.

The good thing about August is that the love your home needs is similar to July in that there’s not much for you to do, but a little goes a long way in some cases. As usual, we referenced Tarion’s home maintenance list for the month.    

Clean your air conditioner filter

July was super hot, so you probably had your air conditioner working pretty hard. It’s always a good idea to check on your filter and clean it if necessary. To clean the filter, remove it, vacuum it, submerge it in water, give it a good spray, then leave it out to dry. If you’ve been neglecting your filter for a long time, you may just need to get a new one. 

Inspect doors and locks 

This is one you’ve probably never thought of before. The heat can actually warp your door or door frame, preventing it from working properly. This can cause the locking mechanism to malfunction. A warped door can also lead to air leaks, which means your air conditioner will have to work harder, and you’ll end up spending more on hydro. Air leaks impact your comfort and air quality, so ensuring your doors are all in working order is a must this summer. 

Air out your basement   

If the weather permits, open the windows in your basement and air it out on a nice sunny day. Basements have a tendency to get damp, and if this goes ignored for too long then mold or mildew can form. Then you have a big (and expensive) problem to deal with. If there’s sunshine in the forecast and you’re hanging around the house for the day, open the windows and let the weather help your home instead of damaging it. 

Inspect driveways and walkways  

The summer provides beautiful days, but a mixture of intense heat, rain, and increased use of driveways and walkways can do a number on your cobbles, bricks, or stone. Do a thorough inspection of your driveway and walkways to ensure there are no big cracks forming. Catching a crack before it gets worse will save you money in the long run, and also prevent potential injuries to your family and guests. 

One final thing to do, and it’s just good to do this every month or so, is to test your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they’re in working order and the batteries don’t need changing. You should also test and reset your GFCI. 

And that’s about it! Enjoy your August long weekend and make sure you tick these off the list well before the month ends!