There are different maintenance tasks you should comply with each season to keep your home in its best shape. Proper maintenance will also prevent any costly repairs that may occur if you neglect important must-do tasks that prepare you for the season.
Check out these 10 home maintenance tips to get your home ready and keep it beautiful this spring.
Service Your AC Unit
Hire a qualified contractor to clean and service your AC unit. Clean coils will help your unit operate more efficiently and at peak performance levels. If you’re willing to attempt the task yourself, it’s a possible, but somewhat lengthy process.
Turn off your home’s power, remove any debris from the unit, clean and straighten fins, clean the area around your unit, level it, then clean your evaporator coil and drain. Lastly, you want to change the blower filter before turning your power back on. Don’t forget to change your interior filters on a regular basis as well for best results.
Clean Out Your Dryer Vent
Clogged dryer vents are a fire hazard that can be easily avoided with this simple task. All you have to do is disconnect the vent from the back of your dryer, then use a dryer vent brush to remove any lint. From the outside of your home, remove the dryer vent cover and remove any lint from the other end. You’ll know it’s cleaned out properly when the vent flat moves freely.
Check Your Gutters
Do a gutter check to find any possible debris or improper drainage, which can lead to further damage and even water in your basement or crawl space. Pay attention to areas where downspouts join the gutter system. If you do find or suspect debris, use a gutter scoop to remove gunk, then make sure you flush gutters with a garden hose to spot any leaks.
While it may be a pain, clean gutters can prevent thousands of dollars of damage to your foundation.
Test Outside Hoses and Faucets
Hoses and faucets may freeze during winter months, so place your finger over the opening to test for damage. If you’re able to stop the flow of water, a pipe inside of your home is likely damaged and needs replacing. If you detect any issues, call a plumber immediately.
Examine Your Roof
Roofs can face lots of damage during winter months when harsh weather hits. Check for cracked or loose shingles and for any missing granules. Also remove all debris so spring rains will properly drain from your roof.
A good rule of thumb – if your home has an older roof, start budgeting for a replacement now so it won’t be such a big hit when the time comes – and it will, eventually. Remember, a roof repair may be cheaper than a replacement, but you should weigh out your options to determine the most cost-effective solution for your roof. Constant repairs could end up costing the same amount as a replacement, especially if your roof is older.
Repair Paint
Springtime is an ideal time to paint the exterior of your home because it’s not too hot and not too cold, and latex paint calls for these conditions.
Give your home’s exterior a good pressure wash to remove any dirt and grime and to also expose any cracks or chips in paint that can happen from fluctuations in temperature and other harsh weather conditions. Exposed wood can rot, so scrape off any chipped or peeling paint on exposed surfaces, then repaint and seal.
Trim Overgrowth
Trim branches from trees or shrubs to keep them 5 to 7 feet away from your home. Branches can damage roofing and siding by adding moisture and creating easy access for animals to get to your attic and create nests. Spring is the perfect time to tackle this chore before new leaves grow and cover up limbs. Use clean trimmers to prevent the spread of plant diseases, and keep tools sharp to prevent torn bark.
Inspect Concrete
Freezing and thawing is hard on concrete and asphalt. Look for any cracks or signs of movement so you can fill them with concrete crack filler or silicone caulk. When it isn’t raining, power-wash concrete, then seal it to prevent any further damage. Keep in mind, concrete may need to be replaced entirely, depending on the amount of damage. Asphalt can likely be patched without any issues.
Fill Low Area in Your Yard
Use compacted soil to fill any low areas you see in your yard or next to your foundation. Consistent spring rains can flood your yard and foundation if not properly planned for. You also want to prevent any standing water, which is the perfect breeding ground for insects.
Mulch
If mulch from the fall and winter is not too badly decomposed by spring, it’s still usable. To determine this, scoop some up in your hands to see if you can visibly distinguish mulch particles from actual dirt. If you can’t, work old mulch back into the ground so it can serve as a soil amendment. For mulch that is not badly decomposed, rake it aside to make room for new mulch, then work it back into the soil with a spade.
As a homeowner, it’s important to stay on top of home maintenance projects around your home – both its exterior and interior. These 10 tips can help guide you as you tackle your spring home maintenance list to get your home ready and keep it beautiful.
Kacey is a lifestyle blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts.
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Great tips! It’s finally sunny so we’re planning on working on our yard this weekend so this is so timely! We need to get everything done so that we can put up our new fence next month. I’m so excited for spring and summer and this is a great list to help us get our yard ready.
Adding home insulation to an existing home will also increase sound control. Insulation creates a sound barrier, keeping unwanted sounds out and protecting your privacy by keeping the sounds from inside your home from being audible outside. Insulating your home also creates a moisture barrier, keeping unwanted moisture out of your house.
Another benefit of insulating your home is a reduced environmental impact. With an insulated home you will be using less energy for heating and cooling your home.
It was a pretty rough winter in my city, and when all the snow melted, I realized that a lot of the paint on my house had chipped. I had it pressure washed like you suggested, and it made repainting super easy. Thanks for the great post!
Good tips. It makes me realize how much more ‘simple and easy’ my life is without children.
There are different tasks that should comply to keep home in best shape stopped up dryer vents are a fire danger that can be effectively kept away from with this basic assignment. Rooftops can confront bunches of harm amid winter months when brutal climate hits.
That is a good thing for me to now that it would be smart for me to know as a new homeowner.This is some really good information about roofing options. It is good to know that overlays will law new roofing materials over the top of the existing.
I just bought my first home, and I really want to make it look good. So, I liked what you said about how I should repair the pain on my home. There is a lot of broke sections of my siding. So, it might be smart or me to get those sections repaired and then repaint the whole of my home’s exterior.
You can also do power wash to clean driveways and furniture, walls and etc.
This concludes that home maintenance is essential. Great tips, thanks!
What are the major home repairs in spring?
This is great. You can try power washing to remove dirt, grime or grease in every part of your house. Be sure you approach the help of professionals.
I agreed with your blog post. I experienced getting a busy day before spring happens. Yes, it’s tough for me to do it alone. With the help of your blog, I’ve got ideas about how to survive on spring season. It’s the best way of working together with my sisters to groom our house.
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Neglect home became wrecked when no one maintained here. A home to last for years should be properly maintained effectively, Repairs is needed even for a small hole. Thanks for the additional tips you have written in this blog author!
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Great tips! Home should be given proper maintenance and utmost care to last for long years.
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Hey! Great tips and beautiful illustrations!
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Good tips. Home Maintenance is very important. Thanks for this amazing and helpful post.
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Adding home protection to a current home will likewise build sound control . Protection makes a sound wall, keeping undesirable sounds out and ensuring your security by keeping the sounds from inside your home from being discernible outside. Protecting your home likewise makes a dampness hindrance, keeping undesirable dampness out of your home.
Home maintenance must use proper professionals with the right tools and materials to use to avoid and prevent problems.
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Home maintenance can appear to be an avalanche of to-dos initially, but remember, you don’t need to do that beat each day. Use home maintenance calendar or create a spreadsheet of tasks to finish month by month. The key’s not waiting until there’s a problem to try to something. A touch prevention will go an extended way when it involves home maintenance.
Keeping your gutters cleaned out, double checking the caulk joints on trim and siding boards and making sure your roof is in good order will help you keep your home in good shape. The key to remember with home maintenance is this: water is your enemy. If it finds it’s way in, it’ll cause rot and decay in most instances. Keeping it out is key.
By the way, thanks for a well put together blog. It is nice and classy!
Excellent points! Spring is the perfect time to get some serious cleaning and repair work done because of the moderate temperature and too many social activities in the offing, with house parties being thrown in, friends and relatives visiting.
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