Seasonal Maintenance | Mason Homes

Homeowners Guide to Seasonal Maintenance

Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall, your new Mason home is built better and designed to perform better. But each season brings special considerations for maintenance and upkeep. To help you keep your home in tip-top shape we’ve created an easy to follow maintenance guide. It features a comprehensive list of items for inspection, and is intended to assist you with setting up a regular schedule of check-ups.

You’ve made a significant investment in your new Mason home and a little seasonal maintenance will keep it looking good inside and out, while ensuring that the systems in your home continue to perform at the highest level.

Seasonal Checklists

Each month, you will need to complete safety checks of your home. We recommend that you do the following on a monthly basis,

Clean the grease build-up around your stove’s range hood, including the filter. Replace the filter if necessary.
Test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Examine the fire extinguisher to ensure it is functioning properly.
Check and reset your ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) in the bathroom and outdoor areas.
Check for any potential fire hazards in your home.
Change the furnace filter.

You will also need to perform certain seasonal checks in order to maintain your home. For your convenience, we have prepared a checklist of maintenance items to be completed each spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Spring

Did you?

Check that the eavestroughs and downspouts are clear of debris.
Check the roof for loose or cracked shingles, repairing as necessary.
Check the driveways and concrete walks for frost damage.
Plan landscaping and ensure that the ground slopes away from your home to maintain proper drainage patterns.
Re-seed the lawn, if necessary, and fertilize and weed as needed.
Check exterior caulking for air or water leaks, repairing as necessary.
Check for cracked weather stripping and replace where necessary.
Lubricate the weather stripping and door hinges as needed.
Clean exterior finishes and repaint as needed.
Check that the windows and screens are functioning properly.
Arrange for an annual air conditioner inspection.
Clean the humidifier and drain the water in preparation for the humid weather.
Clean or replace the furnace and HRV filter.
Check that the hot water tank is working properly.
Check the attic for proper ventilation and signs of water leakage.
Inspect the basement for signs of water leakage.
Check that the splash pads at the base of your downspouts slope away from your home.
Check sump pump operation.
Turn on water supply to hose bibs (exterior taps).
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Test GFCI receptacles and ARC fault breaker.

Summer

Did you?

Check the roof for loose or cracked shingles, repairing as necessary.
Check the chimney for bird nests, loose mortar, and the condition of the draft deflector and cap.
Inspect doors, hinges and weather stripping.
Inspect locks and clean with graphite, if needed.
Fertilize the lawn, if desired, and weed as needed.
Inspect the air conditioner, cleaning and oiling where necessary.
Balance the ventilation system for even distribution of cool air.
Air out a humid basement on dry sunny days.
Check that the hot water tank is working properly.
Check the attic for proper ventilation and signs of insect invasion?.
Clean or replace the furnace and HRV filter.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Test GFCI receptacles and ARC fault breaker.

Fall

Did you?

Clean all debris from your eavestroughs and downspouts.
Check the roof for loose or cracked shingles, repairing as necessary.
Check that the exterior air vents are not blocked.
Check that the windows and screens are functioning properly.
Check the exterior caulking for air or water leaks, repairing as necessary.
Check the weather stripping around doors and lubricate.
Re-seed the lawn, if necessary, and fertilize and weed as needed.
Winterize your landscape and remove leaves.
Arrange for the annual furnace cleaning, replacing the furnace and HRV filter and humidifier pad if necessary.
Clean the humidifier and adjust the humidity level as needed.
Check that the hot water tank is working properly.
Check the attic for proper ventilation.
Inspect the floor drain in the basement, or other unused drains, to ensure the trap is filled with water.
Check sump pump operation.
Turn off water supply to hose bibs (exterior taps).
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Test GFCI receptacles and ARC fault breaker.

Winter

Did you?

Remove the snow and ice from roof overhangs and eavestroughs.
Check that snow does not accumulate around exterior vents.
Remove snow from around downspouts and ensure that they are not blocked with ice.
Balance the ventilation system for even distribution of warm air.
Clean the furnace and HRV, ensure that it is working properly.
Inspect the humidifier and adjust the humidity level as needed.
Check that the hot water tank is working properly.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Test GFCI receptacles and ARC fault breaker.

Please note that this is a guideline only, always refer to manufactures’ recommendations.