Tips for Getting Your Home Ready for Spring
5 minute read
The temperature is rising and the days are getting longer which means it’s time to prepare your home and property for spring. We have collected the following tips to guide you through the process, making spring cleaning a bit easier this year:
Tidy the Gutters
No one really enjoys cleaning gutters, but it’s just one of those things that must be done each and every spring. Your home’s gutter system collects snow, ice and rain runoff from the roof before it reaches the ground. This allows water to be diverted away from the house to avoid dangerous soil erosion and damage to your home’s foundation and siding. You must remove wet leaves and debris from your gutters to prevent blockages. As a final step, we recommend rinsing out the gutters with a water hose to ensure all traces of debris are gone.
Indoor Carpets
Winter weather wreaks havoc on interior carpeting, especially near first floor entryways. When your carpets become soiled by salt, ice melt, mud and slush from foot traffic, they can become damaged and discolored, if neglected. Plus, your carpeting becomes the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew growth caused by moisture trapped deep within the fibers.
A professional steam cleaning is the best way to avoid weather-related carpet damage. We highly recommend that you schedule at least one annual carpet cleaning per year, especially in high traffic areas of your home.
Exterior Siding
Examine your home’s exterior siding for water stains under eaves and around gutters to ensure water is being diverted properly. For wood siding, look for damage or openings that may invite carpenter ants, woodpeckers and other pests to burrow inside.
Windows
When preparing your windows for spring, begin by wiping down tracks and mechanisms to remove dirt and dust. To clean the window panes, you can use traditional, store-bought glass cleaner or make your own homemade window cleaner. We recommend this inexpensive and effective glass cleaning solution for all the windows in your home:
- One cup of rubbing alcohol
- One cup of water
- One tablespoon of white vinegar
Apply the solution to the glass using a spray bottle and dry with a squeegee or soft cloth. Don’t forget to remove and clean all window screens with water and mild detergent. Allow the screens to air-dry on a flat surface before reinstalling them in your windows.
Lawn and Garden
As growing season approaches, we recommend several tasks to prepare your lawn and garden for a bright and bountiful spring:
- Rake away leaves and debris that remain in your yard after winter.
- Prune trees to remove dead and damaged limbs.
- Clear away weeds and debris from gardens, plant pots and flower beds.
- Aerate your lawn to allow oxygen, nutrients and water to reach grass roots.
- Add a layer of mulch around emerging plant bulbs and the base of trees and shrubs.
These springtime lawn and garden tasks will keep your landscape looking healthy and lush.
Roof Check
Avoid roof leaks by performing a springtime inspection. Heavy winds, snow and ice during the winter can cause shingles to come loose or become damaged. If you cannot climb up to your roof for the inspection, use binoculars to inspect from the ground. Simply walk around the perimeter of your house to view the roof from all possible angles, or you may also contact a roofing professional to perform an inspection.
Besides inspecting your roof for damage caused by winter weather, we also recommend you use a roof rake to remove leaves, pine cones and other debris that attracts moisture. It is crucial to remove wet debris from shingles because moisture creates a perfect environment for the growth of mildew, moss and algae.
Plumbing
Another important task to prepare your home for spring is an inspection of your plumbing system. It’s easy to procrastinate or forget to do this kind of maintenance task, so scheduling it at the same time each year is a great way to remember to actually do it. If there are any minor issues within your plumbing system, early detection can prevent them from becoming major plumbing headaches down the road.
When inspecting your home’s plumbing system, look for things like:
- Leaky faucets or shower heads
- Slow-moving drains
- Water stains around the dishwasher
- Cracks or bulges in your washing machine hose
- Signs of dampness under the washer and dishwasher
This annual plumbing inspection doesn’t take much time and can save you a ton of money on major repairs in the future.
HVAC System
Before cooling season begins each year, we recommend scheduling a professional tune-up and inspection of your home’s HVAC system. A yearly maintenance appointment helps extend the lifespan of your system and keeps it running efficiently all season long. Plus, an HVAC technician can identify impending problems before they happen, preventing an inconvenient (or even dangerous) HVAC system breakdown during the hottest time of year.
It is also important to clean out your HVAC system’s outdoor condenser unit every spring. To prevent air flow blockages, remove leaves, grass and other debris from inside the unit before it turning it on for the season.
By following these commonsense tips and suggestions, your home and property will be prepared for the welcome arrival of spring.
