Spring Home Maintenance Tips
Follow a Simple Checklist to Get Your Home Ready for Spring Weather
A few quick and simple spring touchups can insure there won't be any problems at your house once the snow starts melting. Spring is often the best time to inspect your home for problems.
Spring Maintenance Saves Money
The bitter cold, driving wind and deep snow that generally comes with winter can take a toll on your home. Taking some time in the spring to check for broken seals, drainage problems or structural damage will keep your house in good shape and minimize any future repairs.
Keeping your home in good shape will also save you money in the long run. In her blog, Laura Rowley talks about some of the things you can to prevent major home repairs and insure a carefree summer in the process, such as cleaning the gutters, changing furnace filters and insuring windows and doors close freely.
Save for Spring Home Repairs
Starting a home maitenance savings account can help alleviate some of the stress of home repairs in the spring. Set a little bit of money aside each month, even $50 will help, to offset some of the costs of fixing up the house when the weather warms up.
It's also a good idea to start a home maintenance checklist, to keep track of repairs that need to be done around the house. Organize the checklist by month and year if necessary and fix a little bit at a time starting with the most important projects.
Spring Home Tune-up Checklist
The Home and Garden Network offers a number of tips to follow to keep your home in good working order long after winter.
- Inspect siding and stucco: Check for any chipping that can leave it open to moisture and seal as required. Get rid of any white salt deposits left as water evaporates using a brush in warm, dry weather.
- Replace old or rotted siding or trim.
- Clean gutters and downspouts and make sure they are directing water away from the house. Also consider installing gutter guards.
- Inspect the roof for any curled shingles that could lead to leaks.
- Inspect the chimney: A qualified home inspector can also do this for you.
- Check the attic: Look for vent blockages, damaged soffits, wet spots in the insulation or leaks. Also check for proper ventilation.
- Check the heating or air exchanger unit: Change filters and clean the air purifier. Consider having the air ducts professionally cleaned. Change the batteries on all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Prune trees and shrubs and check for proper drainage.
- Inspect the concrete: Spring is the best time to seal cracks in the driveway or any other concrete. Inspect the deck for rotting wood and insecure railings.
- Make windows and doors weatherproof.
- Check the sump pump to insure it is working properly. Install a battery-operated pump as a backup.
Sprucing up your home in the spring doesn't take a lot of time, but it can save a lot of time and money in the end. Since many large home repairs start out as small, minor issues, inspecting the house after a long winter can make the difference between a small problem and a major home emergency.
Spring Home Maintenance
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