May Home Maintenance

May is the time to be preparing for summer.  Summer is a great time to get the exterior of your home ready for entertaining company.  Grilling and pool-time comes to mind.  Depending on what kind of setup you have, you will have more or less to do in terms of preparing the grill and pool.  Of course, whether or not you have a pool will determine what preparations and maintenance needs to be done for the potential pool party! 

Let’s start with the grill.  You’ll need a bowl of soapy water, a washcloth, a fork, an onion (cut in half), a toothpick, pipe-brush, or paper clip, your grill cleaning gear, and if needed, stainless-steel cleaner.  You grill has been outside for a while; it’s likely been exposed to dirt and bugs during the off-season.  Even if it’s been in the garage, shed, or storage unit; the dirt, wind and bugs can infiltrate those areas as well.

Get the cover off and check for gas leaks.  Take some soapy water, turn on the gas, get a washcloth wet and soapy, and rub the washcloth along the gas line to check for bubbles.  If there are bubbles, you might have a leak and can tighten the connections or replace the line.  If you have no leaks, keep the grill on for a few minutes, and let it warm up.  While it’s warming up, grab your onion and stick it on the fork so that the cut side is facing down.  Use the cut side of the onion to rub along the grates.  The onion helps to break up crud and debris from the grates.  Check the fuel level to ensure that you have a good supply for any grilling that may occur.  Now clean the outside of the grill with the rest of the soap and water.  If you have a stainless-steel grill, use stainless-steel cleaner instead.  By the time you are done with the outside, the onion should have done it’s work and you can use your grill cleaning brush and scrub the grates.  Turn off the gas, if you haven’t already, and use a toothpick, pipe-brush, or paper clip to work out any clogs that may have built up in your gas ports or tubes.  Lastly, turn the gas on one more time and check the color of the flames.  If they’re blue at the bottom and yellow at the top, you’re good to go!  If the flame is yellow all the way through, turn off the gas, close the valves, disconnect the gas from grill, open and close the valves, and connect everything back together.  Slowly turn the grill back on and check the flame color again.  If it’s still all yellow, it’s likely time to change your burner ports.  Now all that’s left is seasoning (especially if the grill is new).  Check your owner’s manual for details on how to properly season your grill.  If you don’t have an owner’s manual, see if you can find your model online.

Now for the pool.  Drain your pool cover, remove, clean and store.  Add water to the pool if any has been lost during the off-season. Turn on the equipment to ensure that everything is running properly.  If you notice leaks, or malfunctions, check the manual/maintenance guide, or call the local pool repair man.  Test to ensure that your pool chemistry is correct.  In the morning, take a sample from about a foot down from the surface.  Dip a test strip into the sample and wait 10-20 seconds for it to change color.  Compare the strip to the chart on the container the strips came from for comparison.  Follow instructions on the kit for testing.  

Acceptable levels are:

Chlorine: 1-2 parts per million (ppm)

pH: 7.2-7.8

Cyanuric acid: 40-80 ppm

Calcium hardness: 180-220 ppm

Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm

Total dissolved solids: below 5,000 ppm

If counts are too low, you can add chlorine tablets, cyanuric acid, or muriatic acid to increase levels.  If levels are too high, you may need to partially drain the pool and add fresh water.  Wait 24 hours, and test the chemical levels again.  Repeat until levels are acceptable.

If you have any patio furniture or garden tables, May is a great time to get those out.  Clean/vacuum/wash cushions, wipe down tables, chairs, and legs.  Polish stainless-steel and/or wood, if necessary.  Now you are ready for the grilling, swimming and entertaining!

Here is a list of things to do during May and leading into June.

May Maintenance

     -Roof inspection and repair

     -HVAC check-up

     -Wash down house

     -Reseal deck/patio (if wood)

     -Pool cleaning

     -Hook up and test exterior hoses.

Monthly Maintenance

     -Change dirty HVAC system filters

     -Look for leaks around toilets and sinks

     -Inspect grout and caulking

     -Change dirty kitchen vent hood filter

     -Inspect fire extinguishers

     -Test smoke detectors and batteries

     -Test carbon-monoxide detectors & batteries

     -Stroll around outside checking foundation, vents, gutters, and drainpipes

     -Check water softener & replenish salt (if needed)

     -Inspect electric cords for wear

     -Clean garbage disposal

Active Maintenance

     -Check for drafts

     -Check for weeds (these get out of control fast and should be weekly or more often)

     -Look for signs of pests

Maintaining a home is, more often than not, worth every penny.  Costs of repairing a major issue in a home can be in the tens of thousands or more depending on the problem.  Many individuals buy or rent homes without the knowledge they need to maintain their home and avoid the expensive repairs.  Home maintenance can also be very overwhelming if an individual does not know where to begin, how often to check certain trouble areas of their home, or know when the last maintenance was done.  This is why we started this blog.  Mountain America Concierge Services (MACS) will be posting about home maintenance on a regular basis.  Be sure to check back often and subscribe so that you can see when we make a post.

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