7 Spring Home Maintenance Tasks for Homeowners
Spring Home Maintenance is Important for Every Homeowner
Many people believe spring cleaning is only about cleaning out closets, dusting off sports equipment, or digging a path through the garage. However, it’s also a perfect time to check and see how your house has fared during the harsh winter. You may find damages that need repairing and the yard will need prepping for spring and summer plants. Here are 7 spring home maintenance tasks to help prepare your property for the warmer seasons.
1. Watch for Swarming Termites
Termites swarm out of their colonies beginning in March and lasting until May or June in order to find new territory for a colony. When you see a dark cloud of swarming insects, call a pest control company immediately.
2. Check Out the Roof
If you feel comfortable, climb up a ladder to get a closer look at your roof. If you see anything that looks less than perfect, you may want to bring in a professional home inspector to inspector to evaluate the condition of the roof.
You’ll be looking for curling shingles, missing shingles, the bottoms of metal pipes that are damaged, and generally anything that doesn’t look right. Be sure to take photos in case you decide to file anything with your homeowner’s insurance. If you need repairs or an entirely new roof, make sure the roofer you hire is licensed and insured.
While you are up there, notice the gutters. Are they all still attached to the roof? It’s important to repair any areas that may have come loose, and give them a good cleaning. Otherwise, rain may find its way into your foundation causing mold and mildew, and it may also rot the wood of your eaves.
3. Look at the Siding and Wood
Pressure wash the siding on the house or hire a pressure washing service. This keeps mold and mildew from getting a foothold. Also check wooden stair rails on porches, the wood on the deck, and any wood on the property such as pergolas or wooden pathways through gardens.
Replace weak or loose parts. As part of spring home maintenance, have it treated by a professional. Wood around windows and doors should also be checked. Clean it, prime it, and paint it if it is looking ragged. Wood that isn’t strong and primed is an open invitation to termites and bugs.
4. Inspect the Driveway and Walkways
Asphalt and concrete suffer in winter, too. Cracks in driveways and sidewalks, paths through gardens, or the deck around a swimming pool can develop into major issues. Address them when they’re just cracks instead of craters and you’ll save a lot of money down the road.
5. Check the Foundation
Look at the foundation floor, walls, and concrete. If there are cracks, buckling, or anything that doesn’t look right, call a professional immediately. If two quarters will fit into a crack, then your slab or foundation needs help.
6. Bring in an HVAC Technician
When you press the button, the cool air comes on. That doesn’t mean the system is working properly, though. Efficiency could rest on such a simple thing as a filter. Be sure to have a professional look the system over from the unit outdoors to the ducts indoors.
7. Landscaping
Trees hanging over the roof are trouble. Trim them back or remove them if they look like they could fall on your house. Check other vegetation. If it grows up against the house, it could loosen the mortar in bricks or damage your siding. Trim back everything and pull all vines off the side of the house.
American Home Inspection Services provides Southeastern Michigan with certified home inspection services. Contact us to book your appointment.