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Top 10 Home Exterior Maintenance Tips for Summer

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As the weather gets warmer more consistently and we prepare for something that might look like summer (depending on which microclimate you are in), now is a good time to review your annual maintenance tasks. We at Arana have compiled this list of suggestions for you of things you might do now to get your home ready for the season and all that it brings.

Give your deck a once-over. This is a pre-summer home maintenance must. Check your deck to see if there are any rotting planks and have them replaced. Hammer any loose nails and check to see if your deck material needs to be resealed by pouring a little water on it. If the water beads into little puddles, you’re good. If it sinks into the wood, you should get your deck resealed. We recommend that you avoid the use of semi-solid and/or solid water-based stains.

Protect against unwanted pests. Caulk gaps around your window and door frames and seal areas where bugs can enter. Also, check for and close up larger gaps or holes to keep mice and rats out.

Clean out gutters and downspouts. Typically done at least once a year, you may have to do it twice if you have a lot of trees around your home. Check also to see if any rust, holes, or cracks are developing. Repaint or repair to prevent the escape of rainwater in areas that could lead to water intrusion.

Have your driveway and walkway pressure-washed. This will beautify an often neglected area and also reveal trouble spots that need repair. Hire someone (like us) who will be sure to wash evenly, or keep an eye on this if you are doing the work. An uneven wash can leave unattractive lines.

Reseal concrete and consider a concrete stain. Periodically resealing your concrete helps to protect and maintain an even appearance. You may also want to consider adding in a concrete stain color to enhance curb appeal. If you have painted the concrete in the past and it constantly peels, you may want to consider replacing the concrete and never painting again!

Get your roof inspected. It’s important to make sure your roof is in good shape. Summer is the slow season for roofers and so it is a good time for you to get maintenance done without a wait. Water leaks can wreak havoc, leading to water damage on the interior walls that will require repair and repainting. (As you can imagine, we see this a lot.)

Clean your home’s exterior. From stains to moss to bacteria, dingy roofs, siding, and decks not only look unattractive but can also contribute to an array of other household problems and even shorten the lifespan of your home. Pressure washing may be necessary if there are serious stains, stubborn mold, and mildew, etc. Using a lower pressure setting could provide a good rinse while also saving water; a skilled professional will know how to choose the best level for your needs.

Cut trees, vines, and shrubbery away from your home. It’s tempting to cover your house in a beautiful bougainvillea vine, but climbing vines can damage your paint and give rodents a ladder to find higher entry points. Some vines will also have thorns, and the larger they get, the more difficult they are to remove.

Seal brick. Over time brick can start to deteriorate. A good clear sealant can maintain the integrity of the material, plus filling any holes that might become home to pests.

Consider painting or touching up your home. Is it time for a whole-house restoration? Summer is the high season for exterior painting jobs, so contact us ASAP to get on our schedule. Or, if things are generally looking good, you may still want to do exterior paint touch-ups — this is a quick outdoor home maintenance tip that will give a visual boost and can extend the life of your paint job. If you don’t have the cans around or cannot recall or were never told the exact color of your home, take a chip to your local store, and a paint professional there can help do a computer-generated match — or just call us!

Sources: insurancehub.com + budgetdumpster.com

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Honey Homes Simplifies the Handyman Relationship

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As anyone lucky enough to find the right person knows, a really talented and trustworthy handyman can be hard to find! The idea for Honey Homes came to company founder Vishwas Prabhakara soon after he and his wife purchased their home in Lafayette in 2020. Inspired by the challenge of finding a reliable handyman and the satisfaction of sharing the perfect one with neighbors, he founded honeyhomes.com, now a booming subscription-based handyman service and home upkeep app for discerning homeowners throughout the Bay Area.

Daniel Scott, Bay Area Community Manager for Honey Homes, explains: “Honey Homes is a subscription-based model that is reinventing how services are performed in a sustainable way that meets the needs of homeowners on a regular basis.

“If you think about it, most of the time, we notice something needs attention around the house, but we let it slide. That crack in the wall, a draft coming through a closed window, small leaks when it rains. We will put these things off because it’s too hard to find the right person, or we’ll let them add up until it’s one bigger project. Often, this can mean that more damage has accumulated in the meantime — compared to if we’d addressed the problem when it arose.

“That’s one way a subscription-based system really helps homeowners. Knowing that you have the option to schedule two 100-minute visits per month and knowing that you have a good handyman on deck at any time to handle the work means that you are more likely to take care of issues in a timely manner, and stay on top of regular maintenance.”

The list of tasks that Honey Homes handymen can address is long, wide-ranging, and comprehensive. From maintenance and upkeep to minor repairs, to furniture assembly, decor installation, and more.

“Our staff are fully-vetted, friendly, and reliable,” notes Daniel. “Homeowners can request service via the handy app, providing details about the job requested and uploading photos. As soon as the request is placed, we will schedule a walk-through with your handyman to assess the work and provide an estimate.

“If our team can’t do the job for you, we’ll find someone who will,” he adds. “Honey Homes team members are available to supervise these preferred vendors, if desired.”

At this time of year, Scott says, a common list of tasks Honey Homes members request help with may include: air filter replacement and vent cleaning, fire safety checks, batteries and systems testing, and window seal testing and repair.

“Sometimes in the shift from winter to summer our handymen help people unpack and repack the garage; in preparation for backyard entertaining we can perform yard work, check the swings in the play structure, hang string lights,” he explains.

Other popular task-requests include installing security cameras, hanging artwork, wall-mounting flat-screen TVs, and re-hanging doors that don’t close properly; as well as many small electrical, plumbing, and carpentry repairs. Subscribers also enjoy free cardboard box breakdown and e-waste pick-up.

Subscribers each get their own dedicated handyman to build that ongoing relationship with; someone trustworthy who becomes familiar with their home. Scott notes, “Each one of our handymen has passed a background check and is skills-tested and vetted for their communication capacities. We want our subscribers to have that peace of mind. We help people make their house a home!”

Honey Homes’ service is billed monthly ($200), or can be paid annually ($2000 — a $400 savings). Honey Homes currently serves over 550 Bay Area families with more homes joining each week, as well as recently launching their second operation in the Dallas metropolitan area.

Dear clients and friends of Arana, if you are interested in learning more, contact Honey Homes to schedule a free walk-through visit — no commitment or credit card number required. If you decide to subscribe, use referral code Arana2023 for $100 off of your first month.

To learn more: Follow Honey Homes online at honeyhomes.com and on instagram at @honeyhomeshq

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Shamanic Space Clearing

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By Laura Martin Bovard and Kelley Kessler

In life, we choose what we make sacred. How we live, the way we arrange our things, the beauty we invite in, all of this impacts us. As an Interior Designer, I (Laura) see my role as creating spaces that support people in being their best selves, and continuing to expand into the next self they are becoming. There are many tools we can avail ourselves of in creating and adorning space. Furnishings, fixtures, fabrics, colors, textures, shapes, objects, works of art; these are the implements of my industry.

Systems we might be more familiar with, like Feng Shui and professional organizing, bring attention to spiritual, energetic, and spatial components, and how these impact each other and our lives. A methodology that is less commonly called on, though growing in popular consciousness, is Shamanic Space Clearing.

Shamanic work can be accessed on behalf of individuals, the environments we inhabit, and our communities. One of my dearest friends is Kelley Kessler, a professional Shaman. I have been engaging her to do Shamanic work for myself and my family for years, and more recently, for my clients.

Kelley says:

How it works: Using ancient Shamanic techniques in contemporary times, I (Kelley) commune with the space and with Spirit and my celestial helpers; I receive information clairvoyantly, intuitively, and with all of my senses; and I work in unison with this guidance to remove and transmute energies from my clients’ living or work spaces to restore vitality, ease, grace, flow, and promote growth in their lives or businesses.

After this work is completed, clients often report feeling more grounded, bright, renewed, and magnetic; that they are experiencing more harmonious energies, growth, flow, and synchronicities.

Whether working with clients in person or remotely, I open sacred space and commune with the Energies and with Spirit to receive what is needed. I ask for information on my client’s highest behalf and in relation to their space. I rattle and sage the home, office, or building within this sacred space (either in person, or remotely within the vision of the space) and I shamanically journey — meaning, I go into a mild trance state — to the Spirit world or ‘non-physical reality.’ Then, I ask for healing and clearing of the space, for removal of what is not in the highest good. I ask that whatever is needed for the highest purpose for all that live and/or work or visit there, to be brought through.

When a client is moving from one home/business to another, many desire to do a clearing in each of those spaces, the new and the old. Unknowingly, and sometimes knowingly, we leave pieces of our Self or soul in a space we have left. Instead, ideally, we want to bring all of our vitality with us; and we want to be intentional about leaving concluded experiences behind us. To complete the healing, I co-create blessings for each new home or business with my clients, so that they may manifest all of their hearts’ desires for themselves and their communities.

NOTE: Spiritual/Shamanic healings are not intended to replace licensed medical, mental health, and/or psychological care.

About the author

Kelley Kessler, www.kelleykessler.com, is a Divine Channel, Shamanic Practitioner, and LCSW; contact her for a complimentary initial consultation.

Laura Martin Bovard is an interior designer and the principal of LMB Interiors. Learn more at www.lmbinteriors.com.

Photo (at top) caption and credit: Soothing meditation corner in a primary bedroom, Interior Paint by Arana Craftsman Painters; Interior Design and paint color selection by LMB Interiors. Photo by Eric Rorer