It may not look like it outside your front window, but spring is actually coming. In some parts of the country, there are already subtle signs of the coming bloom. Along with the fresh beauty of the season comes a lot of extra tasks for homeowners. Spring cleaning duties go beyond the home and include basic maintenance tasks that need to be done at least once a year.
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Home Maintenance Chores for Spring: Where to Start?
While you are making your spring checklist, it’s important to ensure that you cover every area of your home and property. The harsh winter weather can take a toll, and a full inspection is not only necessary but beneficial to the health of your home.
Whether you need to schedule an HVAC inspection or sharpen your garden tools, spring is always a busy time for homeowners. Let’s take a closer look at a few essential home maintenance chores this spring.
Basement and Attic Inspection
As spring approaches, there will be a lot of changes that can affect the sturdiness of your home. Your roof may have been holding huge amounts of snow over the winter, or your basement may be holding back unexpected meltwater. Whatever the case, it’s important to ensure that your basement and attic are in good shape after the long winter.
Starting with your basement, look closely for cracks in the walls or flooring, condensation in the windows, or any wet areas. In the attic, you are looking for any damage. Check for drafts, pins of light, or extreme temperatures to discover if there are any uninsulated areas.
Clean Out the Dryer Vent
After a long winter, cleaning out your dryer’s lint trap isn’t going to be enough to clear your system. Over time, the lint from your drying clothes that don’t get caught in the trap makes its way through the exhaust hose system. This can create dangerously flammable clogs.
At the end of the winter, it’s critical that you clean out your dryer vents and all hosing. This is an easy enough chore with the right tools. You can use your vacuum at the outside dryer vent to suck out any lingering lint that could clog your exhaust.
Conduct a Roof Inspection
A long winter can be tough on your roof. After months of snow and ice storms, it’s not unusual to find some damage in the spring. Conducting regular roof inspections is an important part of maintaining your home’s structure. You want to uncover problems while they are still minor and can be fixed without a huge investment. When inspecting your roof, look for these signs of damage:
- Curling shingles
- Missing shingles
- Mold or moss
- Granules in gutters
- Clogged gutters
- Loose downspouts
- Debris
Change Your HVAC Filters
Most homeowners can’t wait for the moment in the spring when they can open their windows and let in the fresh air. As your home is generally shuttered up for several months, it’s important to preserve your air quality by changing your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters and having an HVAC Inspection every season.
Over the long winter, your furnace has continually pushed air through your filters, filling them with dust, hair, and allergens. When your filters are dirty, it causes your system to work harder, making it less efficient.
Your filters should be checked for clogs monthly, but you should only need a replacement at the end of each season. Using HEPA-rated filters is a great way to keep your interior air quality high and healthy.
Clear Debris
Once the snow has melted, you will need to do a landscaping inspection of your property. You will likely need to pick up fall leaves, broken branches, and random debris that are hidden under the snow. Debris cleanup should go beyond the desire to have a neat lawn area.
Debris that is left where it lands can create unwanted pests and dangers. Debris can restrict land growth in the area and become a host to critters and infestations.
Clean the Gutters
One of the dirtiest and most hated, yet still necessary home maintenance chores is cleaning out the gutters. A great way to make this task easier is to do it more than just once a year in the spring. An autumn gutter cleanout helps to keep the formation of clogs to a minimum during the spring runoff.
To help your roof function properly, you must have an efficiently working gutter system. If you are physically able, spring is the time to get busy and remove those clogs. Using a spotter, a bucket, and a pair of rubber gloves, carefully remove leaves and debris from your gutters, allowing diverted water to flow freely. If you are not comfortable on a ladder, hiring a professional for the job is crucial.
Window Inspection
The freezing temperatures of the winter can be hard on your windows. If you had repeated storms over the winter, it’s essential that you do a full inspection of all of your windows and doors. Check every window for cracks or frame damage. You should check for cracking, caulking, and other damage. Taking care of small repairs quickly can help save you a bundle on a replacement.
Sprinkler System Inspection
When your sprinkler heads are buried under several inches of snow, it’s hard to know if they are being damaged. Before you turn your system on to water your spring gardens, it’s important to inspect the system fully.
In the fall, you likely drained the system of water and secured all your heads. Now is the time to reboot your system. Check all hoses, heads, and connections before you turn on your system. If your system has a problem, call your local technician to help you prepare it for the new garden season.
Endnote
If you are waiting for spring to arrive, now is the time to start making a list of maintenance chores for when the snow melts. Before you know it, the tulips will be sprouting, and you will have a lot of spring cleaning chores to do. Add these essential home maintenance chores for spring to your list to ensure that your home is ready for the season.
