Spring maintenance protects your investment in your home, keeps your property well maintained, and helps prevent potential problems before they occur if you are trying to sell your home in the near future.
Here is a spring maintenance checklist to prepare your home for the summer season:
Interior Spring Maintenance:
- Test your smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, and security alarm to make sure they are working properly. You should test them a minimum 2 times per year (Fall and Spring).
- Inspect basements, attics, and crawl spaces for moisture, water damage, water stains, leaks, bad odors, damp surfaces, and discolored spots on insulation.
- Have a professional check and clean your air conditioning system.
- Replace or clean air filters as needed in your home: heat, air conditioner, bathroom fans, dehumidifier, and kitchen range hood. Clean air filters will increase the efficiency of your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC).
- Clean grills on forced air system and heat pump ducts.
- Schedule an air duct cleaning to make your HVAC systems work more efficiently and to increase the good air quality in your home.
- Check the weather stripping and caulking around all windows and doors.
- Repair damaged window screens to prevent insects from entering your home.
- Re-caulk around countertops, backsplashes, and shower tiles if necessary.
- Check your home’s plumbing for any leaks and repair if necessary.
- Update your home interior with a fresh coat of paint if needed. Spring is a good time to paint your home.
- Plan ahead for any home renovations that need to be completed in the spring or in the summer.
- Check your water heater for leaks, rust, and corrosion. The water heater should be replaced if rust or water leakage is found.
- Check and clean the dryer vent piping in your laundry room.
- Remove dust build-up from your refrigerator coils.
- Check your washing machine water hoses for any cracks and leaks and replace if necessary to avoid water leaks in your laundry room.
- Check the exterior of your home for damage that may have resulted from severe winter weather.
- Inspect your roof and the flashing around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Look for discoloration, water damage, and missing, loose or cracked shingles. Spring is a good time to replace or repair your roof if needed.
- Check the exterior of your chimney for signs of damage and repair if necessary.
- Check caulking around the exterior of windows and exterior doors for air and water leaks. Use the proper materials to fill any cracks or gaps: silicone caulk, spray foam, weather stripping, concrete crack filler, or glazing compound.
- Inspect and clean gutters and downspouts for leaves, pine needles, and other debris from winter. Make sure downspouts drain away at least three feet from your house and your foundation; to avoid water accumulation near your home’s foundation. Improper drainage can lead to water leakage into your basement and cause many problems.
- Examine your home’s foundation before the spring rains for any cracks or leaks. Repair as required.
- Examine exposed exterior wood surfaces for water damage: wood decking, wood stair railings, window sills, wood fences, window trims and door trims.
- Examine your wooden decks, stairs, and deck railings for damaged or weak pieces. Repair as required.
- Clean decks, fences, gates, driveways, patios, pergolas, front porches, vinyl siding, and other outside surfaces to prevent moss, mildew growth, and mold.
- Clean any debris around your AC compressor. The compressor needs good airflow to work efficiently during the summer.
- Wrap a fiberglass mesh around your condenser coil to catch leaves, debris, and pollen. Replace the mesh as needed.
- Inspect, fix, and repair your home’s vinyl siding if needed.
- Inspect and clean your sump pump if you have one; to ensure it’s functioning correctly.
- Be sure outdoor water systems such as pipes, hoses, faucets, and sprinklers are working properly.
- Examine attic vents to make sure they’re in good condition, and test power vents to see if they’re working properly. Proper air circulation is needed to prevent moisture build up in your attic.
- Air out and clean your outdoor furniture to prepare for spring and summer use.
- Clean, inspect, and repair all garden tools such as trimmers and lawn mowers.
- Get your lawn mower ready for summer by changing the oil filter, spark plug, engine oil, and air filter if needed.
- Create a compost bin so that organic waste can be reused as natural fertilizer for your garden and your lawn.
- Paint the exterior of your home if needed. Spring is a good time to paint your home.
- Organize and de-clutter your garage.
- Clean your front yard and your backyard.
- Remove damaged annual /perennial flowers and trim damaged branches or shrubs.
- Seal cracks in the driveway, sidewalks, steps, or any other walking areas. Spring is a great time to reseal driveways.
Regular home maintenance it’s one of the most excellent investments you can make in your home. Regular seasonal home care will avoid costly repairs in the future and will help keep your home in good shape.
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