Yes, you still have to do home maintenance in July

Summer is in full swing and it’s been hot in the Greater Toronto Area, which means you’re likely spending a lot of time outside or up at the cottage. But it’s not all fun and games throughout the summer - you should also be referencing your monthly home maintenance checklist. 

The good thing about July is that it’s probably one of the easiest months of the year as far as home maintenance goes, so you still get to spend the majority of your time travelling with your kids and hanging out in the backyard by the pool. 

But, there are still a few important things you should make sure you do around your home this month. We made a short checklist for you based on Tarion’s home maintenance recommendations. 

Air out your basement

Rain and humidity can lead to damp basements, which can lead to mildew or mold. July in Ontario typically has some dry, sunny days, so when one of those days comes along, open up your windows in your basement and let the space air out. The flow of fresh air will prevent mold or mildew from forming. 

Clean your air conditioner 

By now, there’s a good chance you’ve already put your air conditioner to good use. If you followed June’s maintenance tips, you should have inspected it to see if it was working already, so now after a few weeks of use, you should check to see if it needs cleaning. If you experienced any issues at the end of spring, we assume you’ve had a professional come take a look. Now, you just need to clear away debris, and you can spray the outside of the unit with a coil cleaner, which will foam over the course of 15 minutes, then you can spray it clean with the hose. This clears away any dirt that may be causing your air conditioner to work harder than it has to.

Check your exhaust fans

When was the last time you cleaned your bathroom’s exhaust fan? It’s not difficult to do, but we bet you’ve likely never done it. Not only is it easy to do, but it’s an essential home maintenance task to prevent mold or mildew. All you have to do is take the cover off, vacuum it with a bristle brush, and then also vacuum the fan housing. Should only take a few minutes and it can prevent damage that would be quite expensive to repair. 

Inspect water heater   

Your water heater is one of your hardest working appliances, whether it’s cold or hot outside. It’s on every single day, unless you turn it off while you’re on vacation, which is a possibility this summer. Before leaving for an extended period with the family and turning off your water heater, make sure there are no leaks. All you have to do is inspect the floor, base and top of the heater to see if there are any signs of leaking. If you notice water where there shouldn’t be water, call a professional and get it fixed before going on your trip so you don’t end up coming back to a pool where there shouldn’t be one.

As always, you should also test and reset your GFCI, and as well as your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

We hope you have an amazing summer, and don’t forget to check these July home maintenance tasks off the list over the next couple weekends!