Whether you have children heading to school or not, this time of year signifies the end of the 'lazy' summer daze. (Yes, I do mean daze.) It could also mean the end of hectic schedules with vacations, ball games, hot weather..very hot weather and everything else you tried to squeeze in.

The beginning of the school year brings our lives back into routines.

Routine maintenance is what your home is asking for too.  Heat can do extreme damage to your home.

Here are five items to look into:

1) Caulking - Walk around the outside of your home and look for caulk separating and cracking around your windows and doors.  Sealing these now will keep you from spending money on costly repairs later.  A good tube of $4 caulk and a cool morning is all it will take.

2) Fences & Gates - You probably used your gate a lot this summer.  Does it still close perfectly? Are some of your fence posts or boards loose or damaged?  Walk around your yard and push on each post.  It's better and easier to replace them now instead of waiting for the winter winds to blow them down.

3) Gutters - Yes I know, we're talking about the end of summer and here I go talking about leaves falling. If you haven't cleaned your gutters this year, now is the time to clean them and place gutter screens on them so you won't need to clean them after the leaves fall.

4) Painting - No, not painting your whole house, unless it really needs it.  I'm referring to the touch up painting on your windows and siding.  Keeping all your wood covered with a good primer and paint will avoid costly wood rot repairs.

5) Enjoy - This may be the end of summer, but there are still many great days ahead to enjoy your home from the outside, without doing any chores. Enjoy each day.

My crew and I look forward to serving your or a friend's project needs.