Spring Maintenance for the Home

Spring is a time of new beginnings. It just naturally brings out a desire to clean away the grunge of winter and tidy up around the house.
Here are some spring maintenance tips:
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• Clean out the eaves, troughs, or gutters of fall/winter debris. Make sure none of them are loose or leaking. Be sure downspouts are draining away from your house. You do not want water in your basement or crawl space. It can damage the foundation.
• Fill in low areas around your foundation. Indentations can cause water to pool. When this occurs it can back up into your foundation. These pools are also a breeding ground for pests like mosquitoes.
• Check the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks with a probe or screwdriver. Repair before exposed wood suffers more damage.
• Check the roof shingles for loose shingles, lost shingles, or damaged shingles. If shingles are cracked, buckled, loose, or the grit granules are getting thin, your roof may need to be replaced.
• Check the flashing around vents, skylights and chimneys for needed repair. Hire a qualified roofer to do this.
• Have your chimneys cleaned. Inspect chimneys for any outer or inner damage and get it repaired.
• Check out sidewalk, walkway slabs, and poolside curbing. Replace pieces that are cracked or tipped.
• Check outside faucets for winter damage. Replace cracked or malfunctioning faucets.
• Check and clean your HVAC system. Have a qualified HVAC service representative clean the system and replace filters.
• Check and clean lawn equipment so it is ready to run.
• Replace batteries in smoke and CO detectors.
• Clean the dryer vent.The lint trap does not catch all the lint. Some get into the dryer vent. If the vent is plugged vent it wastes money, and could cause a house fire.
• Check the hoses on your washer to make sure none got cracked or loose during the winter.
• Clean screens with soapy water. Repair any damaged screens.
• Power wash decks, driveways, fences and your house’s exterior to remove winter grunge.
• Vacuum refrigerator coils. They work more efficiently if they are dust free.
• Drain the water heater. Sediment builds up making it less efficient. When it is working well it cuts your energy costs.
• Spring is an excellent time to clear your house, garden, and garage of clutter that has built up during the winter. Sort in three boxes: Keep; Donate or Recycle; Trash.

These spring-cleaning jobs will get your home ready for the warm weather.