May Home Maintenance in northern New Jersey

May is opening weekend for the outdoor house: exterior water comes on, hoses come out, screens go in, and the humidifier and HRV switch to their summer settings.

The order matters: hose bibs get inspected as the water turns on, because a bib that cracked over winter announces itself only under pressure.

On the May checklist

• Turn off humidifier and heat exchanger (HRV). Adjust manual seasonal dampers if present.
• Inspect humidifier water panel. Descale or replace as needed.
• Install window/door screens
• Turn on exterior water
• Inspect exterior hose bibs
• Inspect & place garden hoses
• Monitor softener salt and furnace filter. Fill/replace as needed.
• Visual inspection of home exterior addressing minor issues like caulk repairs, vent obstructions, insects, accessible wasp nests, etc.
• As time allows, address items on homeowner's to-do list. See list of common services below.

Covered by your maintenance plan

Every membership visit in May works through this checklist, then puts the remaining time toward your own to-do list. Two hours on Basic, four on Premium, booked on a live calendar with no double-booking.

After the last northern New Jersey frost passes in late April, May is the safe window to open up exterior plumbing for the season.