While we just love our beautiful South Carolina summers, we can definitely admit doing anything more than grilling out and enjoying a swim can be exhausting in all this heat and humidity. To help you gear up for summer, we’ve put together this quick checklist so you can prep your home now in the spring while it’s still nice and mild. So, before things get too hot out there, let’s get started!

• Adjust your thermostat: Okay, this may sound a little toasty, but take our word for it — you should set your thermostat to 78° in the Summer. While that may not sound like it will give you much relief from the South Carolina heat, you’ll feel the relief when you look at your energy bills!
• Actually, install a programmable thermostat: Programmable thermostats allow you to set one temperature for when you’re away from home and another temperature for when you are home. This will not only save you a fair amount of money, but it will guarantee you’re always comfortable when you’re inside the house!
• Keep the cool air in: Running your air conditioner isn’t going to do you much good if your cool air is escaping through some cracks. Make sure your home is properly insulated so that no cold air is getting out and no warm air is coming in.
• It’s time for a new air filter: Not only will replacing your air filter work wonders for your indoor air quality, but it will allow your heating and cooling system to work at maximum efficiency rather than having to overwork.
• Put your ceiling fans to work: Did you know the way your ceiling fan blades spin effects how warm or cool it is in your home? In the warmer months you want to adjust your ceiling fan blades so that they spin counterclockwise to circulate the cool air.
• Care for your lawn: Have you checked on your lawn mower and sprinkler system recently? If you see any overly wet “swampy” areas or dying plants, you may have a leak that needs to be repaired before you really need your sprinklers to water your lawn and your plants. And once your grass starts growing like a weed again, you’ll want to be sure your tractor is in proper working order. You can even update your yard to be pet friendly!

At Five Star Construction, it’s our job to make sure you love your custom home right from the start, but we’re also here to give you helpful tips on keeping everything running smoothly long after you’ve moved in. If you ever need help with your home or have any questions, you can reach us by phone at (864) 303-9143 or online at any time.