Summer in Texas can be a lot of fun, but it also gets pretty hot around these parts. With summer arriving in Candela, homeowners may be thinking about how to keep their properties in tip-top shape during the worst of the summer heat, while also keeping your utility bill down. Fortunately, we’ve got a summer home maintenance checklist to help-not to mention, if you already live in Candela, you’ll be benefitting from the energy-efficient homes built by our incredible home builders, including Coventry Homes, Perry Homes, and Westin Homes.
1. Safety Comes First! Keeping your family safe is a priority, which means that the first thing on your summer home maintenance checklist should be checking carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and inspecting the safety features in your smart home systems, to make sure that everything is in perfect working order. Then you can work on the rest of the list while enjoying peace of mind.
2. Lawn and Garden Maintenance. Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, but your lawn and garden need special care in the Texas heat-and doing so can also help protect your home and keep it cool, to boot! Planting shade trees to help block the sun, especially on the west side of your house, where the afternoon sun gets the hottest, can help reduce your energy bills, while keeping your downspouts and gutters clear can protect your roof, your home, and your foundation in the intense downpours that are often part of a Texas summer.
3. Keeping Homes Cool. But what do you do when it’s just too hot, even to enjoy some time out in the yard? Beat the summer heat by optimizing your home’s HVAC system, blocking out direct sunlight, and taking advantage of energy-efficient technologies! We’ve assembled a few things that should help:
- Air Conditioning Maintenance: Your A/C is going to work hard as the weather heats up, so the very best thing that you can do to keep your house cool and your utility bills low is to make sure that it’s in proper working order. And the best way to do that is to ensure that it gets a tune-up from a heating and cooling professional at least once a year. In the meantime, you should be changing your A/C filters every month or two, especially during the summer months.
- Install Shades, Blinds, or Curtains: Odds are, you’ll want your windows to be covered in some way, just for a little privacy. But when you’re deciding what to install, take energy efficiency into consideration. Light-blocking blinds, shades, or curtains can help to keep heat out and cool air in during the summer-just be sure to keep them closed, especially during the hottest part of the day.
- Check the Fridge and Freezer: Just like your air conditioner, your refrigerator and freezer have to work a lot harder to keep things cool as the weather warms up. This can lead to overheating or other damage, so it’s a good idea to check them out, clean the coils, and just make sure that everything is as it should be before the weather gets too hot. While you’re at it, check the seals around the doors. They should be good and tight, to prevent cold air from leaking out.
- Turn Down the Water Heater Temp: In the summertime, you probably won’t need as much hot water as you did during the winter, so turning down the temperature on your water heater can help save on your energy bills. Not sure how? Consult the manual or call the professionals!
- Consider a Programmable Thermostat: There are tons of smart home innovations that can help you to stay cool and save money, and a programmable thermostat is one of the best. Here at Candela, all of our builders create amazing energy-efficient homes that benefit from some incredible smart home and energy-saving features that you’ll love during the hottest part of the year.
We know that summer home maintenance can seem a little daunting, but with a little help from this handy checklist-not to mention the fantastic features provided by our world-class home builders-homeowners in Candela can rest easy knowing that they’re prepared for anything that a Texas summer can throw at them. And after all, we love having a place in the sun here at Candela, where you can embrace the summer and all of the comfort, safety, and efficiency that it can bring to your home.
If you don’t already know about Candela, we would love to show you around! Our 578-acre master-planned community in Richmond, Texas has been designed and built as a place for you to live your best and brightest life, combining small-town charm with big-city convenience so that you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it! Come tour Candela today, or stay in the know by connecting with us to learn more about new homes and upcoming events that affect us and our neighbors here in the Houston area.
