Spring Maintenance
After a long, cold winter, the warm winds and sunshine are providing us with hope that spring is just around the corner. Besides swapping out your skis for warm weather gear, the warm weather is a reminder to spend some time checking to see how your home fared over the winter.
Follow this checklist to target the areas that may need maintenance so that you can enjoy your time outside this spring worry-free!
1. Clear Roof & Clean Gutters
Even if you cleaned your gutters in the fall, they may have since filled up with the last leaves left from fall, which could damage your shingles and lead to a leaky roof in the future. It’s also important to confirm that your downspouts are properly cleared and turned away from your home so the water flows into the yard instead of toward the foundation.
2. Inspect Foundation and Check for Leaks
Spring brings thawing snow and the potential for hard rains. Be sure to check the foundation of your home to make sure the cold weather didn’t leave behind any cracks that may allow water into your home’s structure. Seal all cracks and imperfections.
Look for areas of unlevel soil that could potentially allow water to pool and push up against your home. Make sure that the soil slants away from your home.
Basements and attics are usually the main points of entry for leaks. If your attic or basement smell damp or musty, those are clear signs that water may be making its way inside. Check the walls, ceiling and floor for discoloration and any signs of water stains. If you find any, call a professional immediately.
3. Survey Hardscaped Material
Winter’s freezing and thawing cycles can cause hardscaped materials to crack and water to seep through. If you notice any cracks, patch them to deter further damage before the cracks are beyond repair.
4. Reseal Woodwork
Winter often piles snow, leaves and branches onto decks and other wooden structures, which can cause deterioration of wood-crafted structures and finishes. Take a close look at any wooden decks, wood trim and other wooden structures on the exterior of your home to see if they have been warped, stained or discolored. If so, it’s time to replace the damaged boards, and reseal or repaint the rest.
5. Paint Exterior
Take a close look around the exterior of your home to check if the winter weather has chipped or stripped paint from the outside of your home. Although painting the entire exterior of your home isn’t necessary every spring, it’s the perfect time to change the color of your home if it needs more than touchups.
6. Wash Windows and Check Screens
Enjoy spring from inside your home when you clean the grimy dirt from your windows. To clean the exterior of the window, first use a garden hose on a low pressure setting to spray off excess dirt. To use a window cleaner, get a bottle designed for use with a hose and attach it to the nozzle. Spray the solution onto your windows, then scrub and rinse with clean water. Carefully scan each window and door screen for any damage. If you find any holes, they can be easily patched with a repair kit from the hardware store.
7. Check HVAC System
A/C: If the weather has consistently been in the 60’s or higher, it’s time to test the A/C to ensure it’s working properly for when you need it. Call a qualified HVAC technician to have them come take a look at the A/C and give it a tune-up. This will ensure your A/C is good to go when you finally need to turn it on.
Water Heater: If you see any water or signs of rust around the water heater, you’ll want to call a professional to inspect it. These small leaks and signs of rust could eventually cause sediment buildup and major problems in the future.
Furnace: Chances are great that your furnace and fireplace have seen some serious usage during the last few months. Spring is the perfect time to have your fireplace and heater cleaned and serviced.
8. Clean Up Yard
A key spring home maintenance tip that many people forget is to dump all standing water from your property. Standing water can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can breed disease.
For a beautiful yard, begin by picking up sticks and raking up any leaves. If you have large trees that need pruning, contact a certified arborist. Wait for the weather to warm up to over 40 degrees consistently before beginning to mow your lawn to avoid any damage.
Foot traffic and mowing lead to compacted soil. For a healthy lawn, aerate before you apply any grass seed. With plugs removed from the soil, the seeds will achieve better coverage and have more access to essential nutrients.
If you have a vegetable garden, early spring is a good time to prepare the soil. Most vegetable garden soil can be improved with a 1” thick layer of organic compost that will improve drainage and provide nutrients to plant roots.
Empty and clean your containers to prepare for colorful annuals.
Check all garden hoses, nozzles and hose reels and make repairs, or upgrade to new ones. Drip irrigation for container gardens is a game changer in heat waves.
Add mulch to your pathways and garden beds to help control weeds, enrich soil nutrients, retain soil moisture, insulate plants, and add visual appeal. Spread mulch with a garden fork about 3” deep in planting beds. Don’t press mulch up against plant stems or trunks, as it encourages insect or pest damage.
9. Test Irrigation System
Your irrigation system has been stuck inside the frozen ground for a few months, which can be extremely hard on the buried pipes. Run the irrigation system to make sure everything is in working order. Check each sprinkler head to make sure that they are functioning properly. If they’re crooked or you find damaged sprinkler heads, replace them as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the system.
10. Sump Pump
Last but not least… Don’t forget the sump pump. Install a battery backup pump as insurance against water damage from any excess spring runoff.