Essential home maintenance jobs for summer

Monday, 13 August 2012 11:19 AM

In order to ensure your house is in the best condition it can be, there are a few maintenance jobs well worth doing - and summer is the perfect time to do them as the days are long and the weather is good. Read on to learn more.

Check your roof

As a general rule, it is a far better idea to have roof repairs carried out in the summer than the winter. The fact the season is warm and relatively dry means any serious work that needs doing can be completed with very little inconvenience to you.

If you have been living in your property for a few years, you might not think there is any point in having your roof checked over, particularly if you haven't suffered any problems with it. However, it could be that there is a small issue such as missing tiles or a damp patch that, if left unattended, will grow to be a big issue and cost far more to repair.

Roofers prefer to work in the summer as it is safer and the days last longer. With this in mind, if you want to book an inspection, do so as soon as possible. This means that if any faults are uncovered, you can arrange to have them fixed before the winter sets in.

While it is best to have an expert cast their eye over your roof, you can also look for damage yourself. One way is to cross over the road from your house so you can see more of its top. If you spot a patch where slates have fallen off, it is worth having the gap patched up so you don't have to worry about leaks. You can also inspect the loft space to see if there are any damp patches. If you notice this or if the beams appear to be wet, contact a roofer as soon as possible to fix whatever leak is causing it before the situation becomes worse.

Heating inspection

When the weather is warm, there is little need to switch on the boiler and central heating system. Indeed, it's more likely you will want to cool your house down by opening the windows. However, the importance of a working heating system grows vastly in the winter and should you encounter a problem with it once the cold arrives, it won't be comfortable waiting around to have it fixed.

Understandably, gas and heating engineers are kept busy during the winter months with emergency callouts. To avoid you also suffering an emergency, have your heating system inspected by a professional during the summer while you aren't relying on it so heavily. Should they discover a problem with your radiators, boiler or gas fire, you will have time to book the necessary repairs and won't have to fret if there is a wait for the parts you need, as you will be nice and warm anyway.

When having any of your gas appliances fitted, be certain to contact someone from the Gas Safe Register. This is the governing body of heating engineers in the UK and failure to be on the list means that the tradesman you're interested in might not actually be qualified to safely do the job you need doing. Ask to see their Gas Safe card, which is proof of their membership and also includes all the products they are certified to work on to help inform your choice.

Stop damp in its tracks

Damp is something that can have harmful consequences for a household, as it not only damages the structure but can also trigger illness. That's why it's sensible to check if this problem is affecting your house - and a good time to do so is in the summer.

By and large, the weather is warm and dry in the summer, but in winter a small damp problem can be aggravated by the cold and wet. While you can go around your home looking for damp patches, it is worth calling in an expert as there are different forms of the problem, each with its own cause, which you may not recognise.

Rising damp is the most severe form and is caused by moisture in the ground slowly moving up through the lower walls of the building through the porous material of the brick or stone. It is characterised by a slight colour difference between the top and bottom of the wall, like a tide mark. To fix the problem, you can have a damp course, which is often an injection of chemicals like silicone that penetrates the wall to form a barrier, although a physical course can also be fitted.

By getting these jobs addressed during the summer, you can relax once winter arrives, safe in the knowledge you will be cosy in your house.

Tags:
• boilers
,
• maintenance