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Spring Maintenance Tips
It's spring, which means flowers, rain, baseball, gardening, bbq's, desperate
attempts to get in shape before swimsuit season, skipping work to be outside
before it gets unbearably hot...
Spring also means it's time for home maintenance after a winter of neglect.
Don't feel too bad about it--you're not the only one to hibernate from
maintenance during the winter.
Following are some simple tips to keep your home operating in tip-top condition.
Spring Maintenance Tips
Inside
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Try out your
air conditioning system. If you wait until the first hot day to check your
AC and it doesn't work, you will have a long, hot wait before the repair
people can get to it. They'll be overworked and cranky by the time they get
to your home; you'll be cranky because you're so darn hot.
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Remember to
inspect/replace your HVAC filter monthly.
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Check and
clean the clothes dryer vent and stove hood.
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If you have
a coil-back refrigerator--you probably do--vacuum the coils at least twice
each year. Your refrigerator will run much more efficiently with clean
coils.
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Clean
everything, top to bottom! Use non-toxic soaps for better indoor air
quality.
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Now get
outside and enjoy the weather!
Outside - Up High
Make sure you are properly hydrated, wearing appropriate sun and bug protection,
and listening to motivational music.
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Inspect the
roof for damaged, loose or blistered shingles. Have damaged shingles
replaced if they're on less than 20% of the roof. Reroof if damaged shingles
cover more than 20% of the roof.
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Examine
flashing around chimneys, vents, and roof edges.
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Remove
debris from gutters and downspouts and patch any holes. Make sure the
downspouts direct water at least 5 feet away from your foundation walls.
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Examine
fascia or soffit boards. Replace if they are soft or rotting because they
may allow rain into your attic. If you live in a hurricane-prone region,
extend the fascia so it terminates below the underside of the soffit.
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Trim
branches and shrubs that are touching your home which can provide a pathway
for bugs or excess moisture to enter your home.
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Remove dead
branches that may fall on your home. Snap!
Outside - Down Low
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Clean up
fallen limbs, branches and other debris around the home to discourage the
proliferation of wood-eating insects. Termites = bad.
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Clean out
basement window wells.
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Inspect/replace caulk on windows, doors, and other penetrations, such as
dryer vents and cable wire holes. Inspect the condition of the caulking
where two different materials meet, for example where wood siding joins the
foundation's wall or at inside corners. Improper caulking provides an avenue
for moisture to get inside your walls and cause mold.
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Check the
condition of the exterior surfaces. Touch up any areas that need paint
before they deteriorate further. Inspect bricks and concrete blocks for
cracked mortar or loose joints.
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Inspect
grading around the house to be sure water drains away from the foundation on
all sides. If water pools near the house, you could be in for a very wet
basement and difficult spring removing water and even mold from the
basement.
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Make sure
that your lawn sprinkler heads do not spray the walls of the house. Water =
bad.
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Check your
inside and outside foundation walls and piers for termite tubes and damaged
wood.
Once you've finished, sit back, relax, and feel proud of the great work you've
done.
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