After a long, dark winter, spring’s bright sun and warm winds are, well, a breath of fresh air. The only downside? All that sunshine spotlights your leaf-filled gutters, cracked sidewalks and the dead plants in last year’s flower beds. Our checklist to helps you target the areas that need maintenance so you can get your chores done quickly, leaving you time to go outside and play in the sunshine. Click the image to make it larger and print it out to keep or read below for places you need to check on your home after winter’s weather.
1. Clean Gutters and Downspouts: Make sure gutters and downspouts direct water away from the house. With our weather, there’s a lot of freezing and thawing, gutters will expand and contract, so make sure they’re flush to the roof, with no sags or dips. Get a professional to clean them if you live in a two-story house. Do-it-yourselfers will be safer cleaning a ranch home. Consider installing gutter guards. Remember this is your first defense for a dry basement/crawlspace.
2. Inspect Your Roof: Shingles that curl (turn up) and claw (turn down) can make your roof inefficient and susceptible to leaks. Clean out sticks and moss with a stiff broom. Call a professional and get an opinion on your repair. How many years has it been since you had a new roof installed?
3. Check Your Heating and Air Unit: It never hurts to have a professional check the system before you start your air conditioning for the year. If it’s dirty, they may recommend having your ducts professionally cleaned. It’ll make your indoor air quality healthier and your furnace more efficient. Make sure you date your air filters so you know when to change them.
4. Indoor Safety: Change batteries on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Remember to test these devices, in case you ever need them.
5. Remove firewood and loose debris stored near the home. Firewood should be stored at least 18 inches off the ground at least 2 feet from the structure. By removing these you can help deter those risky pests, like termites.
6. Your Beautiful Lawn: Rake the lawn to remove any branches, debris and leaves that you might have missed in the fall; if left, they can suffocate the grass beneath. Raking also helps to remove thatch build up from last year’s clippings. It is also time to aerate and feed your lawn. If it’s too much, call a professional.
7. De-clutter: Who doesn’t love stuff? Spring Cleaning! It’s time to de-clutter your home. Open your windows, shake out your rugs, and start going through your closets. You never know what you will find to put on display, or donate to someone else.
8. Dig into your landscaping. Grab your pruning shears. Start by removing any dead annuals and pruning back the perennials that have new growth at the mulch line. Proactively pull weed seedlings while the ground is soft and before the weeds become pesky in the summer months. Assuming the winter left your soil unbalanced, your beds could probably benefit from an application of fertilizer.
9. Kick back and relax! The beautiful sunny weather and smells of fresh flowers are just around the corner. Remember to let us know if you need help building your outdoor living space and relaxation zone outside. It’s time to plan!