It is that time of year again when winter is over and spring begins. The snow is gone, the trees and flowers are starting to bloom due to the rain and temperature changes, the days are getting longer and baseball season has started.
Most people look forward to this time of year and with it comes spring home maintenance responsibilities. You might say “I know but I don’t have the time” or “My house is fine.” We hope everything is fine with your home and it survived the harsh winter. Remember, this is most likely the largest investment you ever made so make sure that investment stays in pristine condition so it continues to increase in value.
Here are things you need to check or do to make sure your home stays in tip top shape.
Exterior Items
Air Conditioning/Humidifier/Furnace – Contact a local HVAC company to inspect, clean, replace filters and do a tune up to make sure everything is in working order. You don’t want you’re A/C to be out in the middle of the summer with 90+ degree temperatures.
Concrete/Driveways/Walkways/Patios/Porches – Inspect the concrete or asphalt flat surfaces around your home. Determine of you need to reseal your asphalt in the summer. Make sure the concrete does not have any large cracks and if so, use concrete caulk or fillers to fill in those cracks to prevent tripping hazards and the cracks from getting larger.
Deck – If you have a deck, look for damaged, warped or lifting boards, rusty nails and nail pops. If you have stairs or a railing confirm they are secure to prevent any accidents. It may be time to replace a few boards and re-stain/re-paint the deck to make it look it’s best
Fencing – Walk around your fence to inspect it. Look for broken pieces or warped boards. Does the fence touch the ground? Is it still upright and secure so it can’t be pushed over? If you have young children or pets, make sure the fence is strong and secure to keep them enclosed in the yard for piece of mind. If needed, replace broken or missing pieces, stain or paint to freshen up the look.
Foundation – Do a walk around the foundation of your home to identify any cracks or water infiltration and fix right away. Damage to your foundation will cause great expense if left untreated. Make sure water drains away from the foundation and the soil is at least 6” from the top of your foundation wall. Your lawns & landscaping should be 6” below where the siding starts to prevent damage.
Gutters & Downspouts – Make sure to remove all leaves, sticks and debris from your gutters and downspouts. If you have a lot of trees by your home you may want to install meshing or guards on the gutters to prevent them from clogging in the future. Downspouts should extend at least 3’ from your home’s foundation to prevent water from building up and penetrating your foundation wall.
Laundry vent screen – Cleaning the vent screen for your laundry should be done regularly. You may have noticed the clothes are not dry at the end of a cycle or you need to increase the drying time or temperature. This may be the cause of the dryer vent being plugged with lint and not the fault of your dryer.
Lawn & Landscaping – If you did not trim back all of your landscaping and clean your flower beds before winter, now is the time. It is also time to determine what annuals you want to plant where in your yard so you are ready when the time is right to purchase and plant. Your lawn needs some attention as well. Rack up the dead grass, fill in any dead spots with top soil and seed apply fertilizer so it will look it’s best.
Lawn Equipment – Now is the time to get your lawn equipment serviced and inspect your lawn tools so everything is in working order when needed.
Outside faucets – Turn on the outside water faucet to make sure it is in working order. If a hose was attached all winter by mistake it could have caused a crack in the plumbing. If you find an issue, contact a plumber for repair or replacement.
Overhead Garage Door – It may be time to service your overhead garage door and opener. If you hear the door squeaking, rubbing or notice it may not be functioning property, contact a local garage door company to service the door and opener. It may only need to be greased or a spring could be ready to break so be proactive.
Paint – Do a walk around the permitter of your home to determine anything that needs a fresh coat of paint.
Roof – Take a look at your roof from the ground and if possible, get on the roof to inspect it. If you do not feel comfortable with this hire an inspector to assess the condition of your roof. You will want to look for missing shingles, curling or lifted shingles or damage due to wind, snow or hail.
Septic System – Depending upon the size of your home, the size of your family and the size of your septic system, it may be time to have it pumped. Check with a local septic company or county health department for their recommendation on when to pump and inspect the system.
Well – If you have a well instead of city water you may want to have it serviced by a local well company to make sure everything is in working order. Water is something you definitely cannot live without.
Siding/Brick/Stone – Confirm you do not have any broken, damaged or missing siding. If you do replace those pieces right away. Check all stone or brick to make sure no pieces have come loose and the mortar joints do not need attention.
Sprinkling system – If you have an underground sprinkling system it is time to turn it on to adjust heads, replace any broken heads and make sure everything is in working order so you are ready when it is time to start watering. Hire a professional if you are not familiar with starting up the system.
Windows & Doors & Screens – Test all windows and doors to make sure they are functioning properly. Do they need to be caulked prevent air infiltration or painted to spruce up the look? Now is a great time to clean windows inside & out. The screens should also be washed and replaced if any are damaged or broken
Clean Garage – It is amazing how much we accumulate in our garages at anytime of year. Now is the time or organize and clean the garage to store the winter items and have the summer items available for easy access. It is also a great time do donate items you do not want or throw away items that are broken or do not work.
Outdoor Furniture – You may store you’re your outdoor furniture during the window or cover everything over and leave them in the elements during the winter. Either way, it is time to uncover or get the furniture out of storage, put it in place and wash everything so it is ready to enjoy.
Pool – If you do not open your pool yourself, you definitely want to call and schedule the pool service company so you don’t miss out when the weather is nice and you really want to take a dip. If you are able to open the pool yourself, check your current supplies, make a list of when you need and purchase those items so you have them when you are ready to open the pool.
You may tell yourself you do not want to any of the items above because of time, money or any other reason. Get help from family or friends that know how to do some of the items on your list and hire out the other items. Remember, this is the largest investment of your life so you want to keep it in tip top condition so it continues to increase in value and personal enjoyment.
