10 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Spring

With spring around the corner, the time has come for home owners to start getting their homes ready for the warm weather. Now is the right time to tend to all the issues pertaining to the interior as well as exterior of your home so that you will be able to sit back and enjoy Spring wholesomely. Here are 10 tips that will help you prepare your home for spring.

Get your landscaping plans in order

landscaping

Now will probably be the right time to think about appropriate landscaping ideas for your lawn or backyard. It will also be the right time to start cleaning up these areas and getting everything ready for the gardening season. Accordingly, you can start by clearing out remnant snow from these areas. Rake away leaves, twigs, tree limbs and other debris from the gardening area. If you have a concrete or brick pathway and pressure wash it with water. Clean all the gardening equipment while repairing/replacing damaged ones in time for Spring.

Check the HVAC System

 HVAC System

Spring is another time of the year when you will need to do an inspection of your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). Clean out air filters and replace damaged ones with new filters. Call in a service person to clean the AC and ensure that it is working properly. Get these issues sorted out before Spring do that you don’t have to pay more for the same services later.

Test Household Alarms

No we are not talking about the alarms that wake you up every morning. We are talking about the emergency and security systems installed in your home. These include all security alarms, home alarms, fire extinguisher alarms, smoke fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, etc. which might have frozen over during winter. Test these to ensure that they are working so as to assure the safety of your house and its inhabitants.

Check the roof for damage

Chances are there might be a few loose or warped shingles on your roof. A few shingles might have gone missing due to a winter storm as well. Inspect the roof and replace all loose, cracked and buckled shingles with new ones. While up there, take the time to check other things like the skylight seals and the flashing around chimneys and plumbing vents to ensure that they are in place. If you find anything out of place, contact a qualified roofer to fix them immediately.

Check the Chimney

Check the Chimney

Make it a point to check the chimney for dirt, soot and blockages. Clean the flue and check whether it is working fine. Repair any damages with the help of a chimney sweep.

Clean and Secure the Gutters

Clean and Secure the Gutters

Inspect the gutters on the roof and clean them off any debris that might have collected in them over the winter months. Check the downspouts for blockages as well and remove them. Loose gutters can also pose a problem by damaging the trim of your roof as well as allow water to leak into the basement. Check whether the gutters and downspouts are securely attached to the house, securing them if you find them to be loose.

Check the wood trim around the house

wood trim

This is rather important, considering the fact that the exterior of your home was exposed to the cold winter weather for months on end. As such, the wood trim around the decks, railings, doors and windows may have incurred some damages. The best way to find out whether there are any repairs in the wood trim in these areas is to probe it with a screwdriver. Any repairs you find need to be dealt with immediately.

Be on the lookout for leaks

flooding

The last thing you want after the cold winter months is to have your house flooded with water from an uninspected leak. Check the pipes in the attic, basement and crawl space to see if there are damages that might cause leaks. Make sure to inspect areas like the bathroom and kitchen as well where frozen pipes tend to create issues by leaking water.

Fill low areas with compacted soil

rain

Spring rains tend to cause water runoffs in the yard. In some cases, the water collects on the yard to create a pool whereas at times, the entire yard may be flooded. In any case, failure to solve the issue quickly can lead to foundation damage while the water can become breeding grounds for small insects. It is considered best to fill the low lying areas in the yard with compacted soil which helps absorb excess water from the ground.

Repair/Replace concrete slabs

The concrete slab outside your home can develop cracks during the harsh winter. If you find the concrete slabs cracked or moving around, fill up these cracks with a silicone caulk or concrete crack filler. Power-wash them and seal the slab.

Summary

Homeowners need to start inspecting their homes and make the necessary repairs, replacements and improvements before Spring arrives. Timely repairs can help prepare the home for the warmer months in a more effective manner.

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