On top of spring cleaning, these home maintenance tips help prepare your home for warmer weather
After several months of winter cold and exposure to the elements, your home may need a little upkeep to get it ready for the change in season. While many homeowners perform spring cleaning tasks to freshen up their homes, it’s also crucial to complete spring maintenance both indoors and outdoors once the weather starts to warm up.
Many different areas of your home need your attention in the springtime, and it can be tough to keep them all straight. That’s where a thorough spring maintenance checklist can come in handy. Use our helpful checklist to help you inspect your home from top to bottom this season.
Winter weather can take a toll on the outside of your home. Part of spring maintenance is a careful inspection of several outdoor areas for cold weather damage. Early repairs can prevent larger problems down the line. Key areas to check include:
Your roof is one of your home’s first lines of protection against rain and snow. Before spring and summer storms roll through, complete the following:
Check your gutters and clear them of debris to ensure proper drainage.
Clean dirt and grime from your soffits, which are the undersides of roof overhangs.
Remove soffit vents to clear out debris using a broom handle or a leaf blower.
Some roofing repairs require specific knowledge and specialized tools. You should be able to identify most major issues from the ground. Contact a roofing professional if you notice the following:
Missing, dislocated, or curved shingles
Peeling or deterioration around the seal at the base of your chimney
Loose or misplaced chimney bricks
Cracks or creases in your gutters where water drips through
You’ll likely be opening your windows and doors a lot more often as the weather warms up. Keep moisture and pests out by doing the following:
Apply new caulk to cracks or peeling areas around caulking or weather stripping.
Remove storm windows and re-install screens.
If screens have holes or tears, patch or replace them.
Lubricate door and window hinges and tracks.
Spring usually marks the time of the year when many people spend more time outdoors. Prepare for spring lawn care by taking care of the following:
Trim trees and shrubs growing close to your house.
Inspect outdoor sprinkler heads for leaks or other damage and verify your watering schedule.
Inspect your lawn care equipment by sharpening tools, charging batteries, applying lubrication, and refueling as needed.
Our outdoor spaces aren’t only for working. If you plan to relax or entertain outside this season, ensure that your favorite spaces are in good shape by cleaning your patio and performing a few maintenance tasks:
Repair or replace damaged or rotting wooden decks, railings, and steps.
Touch up paint, stain, or wood finish on decks, railings, and steps.
Pressure wash outdoor patio furniture, cement patios, driveways, walkways, and decks.
Spray water on your deck to see if it beads, and reseal the wood if it doesn’t.
A careful inspection of the perimeter of your home helps ensure that there aren’t any potential problems that could cause costly damage on the horizon. Make the following tasks part of your maintenance routine:
Pressure wash the siding and soffits.
Check the siding or bricks for damage and schedule repairs as needed.
Clean debris from the foundation vents and ground-level window wells.
Check your foundation for cracks larger than a dime and call a specialist if you find any.
Touch up the home’s exterior paint.
While the outside of our homes takes the brunt of the winter weather, there are still several spring maintenance tasks to complete indoors. Some key areas include:
Damage to the outside of your home can lead to water leaks in interior spaces. Inspect your home from top to bottom with the following checklist:
Look into your attic or roof-level crawlspace for signs of pests, including disturbed insulation or discolored areas, and contact a pest control company if needed.
Look for any rafters sticking out through your attic insulation and add additional insulation if needed.
Check for discoloration, cracks, and other signs of water damage, leaks, or mold in your attic and on ceilings and walls.
As you ease out of relying on your furnace and start to rely more on the air conditioner, it’s essential that every part of your home’s HVAC system is in good shape. Use the following spring HVAC tips:
Test your air conditioning to ensure that cool air is flowing.
Change your HVAC air filters.
Inspect air ducts for a buildup of mold, allergens, or other debris and clean them out.
Look for signs of moisture in your basement or crawl spaces, as they can indicate issues that a professional should address.
As a final step in your spring maintenance routine, inspect all of your major appliances to ensure that they’re still in working order. Some specific items to check include:
Clean the condenser coils on the back of your refrigerator.
Check that the temperature settings on your refrigerator and freezer are accurate.
Inspect your washing machine hoses for cracks that may need repair.
Clear out any lint buildup from your dryer vent.
Turn on your sump pump to test that it’s working.
Clear any debris from your sump pump exit pipe.
