Is Your Home Ready for Summer … and your summer guests?

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

This summer Santa Clarita residents could find themselves, and their homes, as popular tourist destinations from friends and relatives.

Is your home ready for an onslaught of summer visitors, as well as grandkids, children home from school and others?

Guest Room

The first order of business is to get your guest room ready for visitors. If you converted your guest room to a home office or gym, now might be a great time to envision the space in a multifunctional way.

If you’ve removed the bed, can you add a futon or pull-out couch.

If you haven’t updated your guest room for a while it might be time to give your guest room an updated, modern look.

Clear out the clutter and refresh your linens, pillows and blankets. Be sure you have enough pillows; some guests prefer extra pillows. Deep clean all the nooks and crannies and shampoo the carpet.

Make sure your room is outfitted with easily accessible outlets for guests to plug in phone chargers and other electronics.

Take stock and supply your guest bathroom with all the essentials including soap, shampoo and conditioner, air freshener, new towels, hair dryer and a supply of travel size toothpaste and deodorant, just in case. Keep a few spare toothbrushes on hand as well.

A minifridge is a nice addition for your guests’ refreshments and a great space for your own soda or water when you aren’t hosting out-of-town guests.

Before your guests arrive be sure to find out their likes and dislikes of beverages and snacks, then fill a small basket with some “welcome” goodies.

Get an itinerary from your guests, when they plan to arrive and when they will leave. Find out what tourist attractions they plan to visit.

It is helpful to create a little “visitor” binder that includes printed information on all the attractions that are now open.

While most guests will most likely have planned their visits to the “grand” vacation destinations — Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Magic Mountain — with the precision of a military operation, your guests may enjoy some “insider” information from a “local.”

Include information on a few “out of the way,” or little known, tourist attractions such as the Getty Villa in Malibu or the El Capitan movie theater in Hollywood. Your guests might appreciate this information on destinations they hadn’t considered.

Your binder can also include menus and hours of your favorite local restaurants.

Hvac

If you haven’t had your HVAC system tuned this year, now is the time, before the “real” summer heatwaves descend.

Professionals recommend HVAC systems be inspected, cleaned and serviced at least once a year to be sure there are no leaks and filters are appropriately clean and installed correctly.

Items that should be checked and serviced during the inspection include:

• Voltage testing and checking electrical components for failures

• Lubricating moving parts

• Checking the filter

• Inspecting the condensate drain for blockages

• Checking thermostat settings and electrical connections

• Inspecting HVAC appliances

• Testing safety controls and for problematic airflow through the home

• Inspecting the blower

• Checking the refrigerant pressure and testing the gas piping and pressure

• Inspecting the condensate drain Pool Maintenance

Before summer hits and you are lounging around the pool with cocktail in hand it is important to give your pool a “once over” to make sure it is still in tip-top shape.

• Check the equipment to make sure everything is secure and properly working.

• Look for any leaks or cracks to the foundation or liner.

• Check the decking to make sure it drains properly and there are no loose or “rough” surfaces.

General Home Maintenance

It is easy to walk around your home, coming and going on a daily basis and not see peeling paint, cracks in the stucco or weeds in the garden. While some issues are minor and require just a little elbow grease, some issues can lead to major problems if not addressed in a timely fashion.

Take a stroll around the outside of your home and note the condition of the roof, walls and eaves.

Check your property for weeds, dead plants and anything that could become a danger in a brushfire. I have often found palm trees will suddenly sprout in my yard. One palm tree I ignored for so long became a 20-foot liability that had to be removed at considerable expense. Check your driveway for cracks or weeds growing in paved areas.

Inside Your Home:

• Vacuum your refrigerator coils and clean out dryer vents (among the top culprit in home fires).

• Test smoke/carbon monoxide detectors.

• Tighten door handles and cabinet latches.

• Remove showerheads and faucet heads and clean sediment. This is a must because of the notoriously hard water in most SCV homes.

• That fire extinguisher you’ve had in the garage since you moved into your home? It might be time to consider replacing it, as well as your kitchen fire extinguisher.

• Drain some water from your water heater to remove sediment buildup.

• Repair/replace damaged window screens.

Now you can grab that Bahama Mama, wine cooler or mai tai and relax poolside for the rest of the summer.

FROM THE CITY MANAGER Summer Camp at the

By Ken Striplin Santa Clarita City Manager

It is hard to believe that another school year is coming to an end, but with so many activities taking place throughout the City this summer, we are excited to offer our community endless opportunities for all members of your family. One of the most popular and long-standing programs is the summer camps held at the Canyon Country and Newhall Community Centers. Acting as a centralized home to many, these Community Centers are a wonderful place to keep your family active throughout the summer months.

Starting the second week of June, both Community Centers will begin their eight-week, fun-filled summer camps, perfect for families living in Santa Clarita.

Something unique to our camp program is the overall number of activities that staff is able to provide to participants. Each week, your child will have the opportunity to go on field trips, from kayaking at Castaic Lake and exploring the California Science Center, to checking out the Santa Barba-