15 Spring Home Maintenance Tips

15 Things to Add to Your Spring To-Do List

Warmer weather is on the way, friends, which means now is the ideal time to ensure that every square inch of your home is ready to tackle the heat! To ensure you don’t miss a beat, as well as lessen the chance of running into a problem down the line, here are 15 things you should add to your spring to-do list:

1. Examine Your Home’s Exterior Walls

Whether your home has wood siding or brickwork, it’s important to thoroughly examine the exterior for any damage that the treacherous winter weather may have caused. For instance, visible water stains could indicate that your gutters are not helping prevent roof runoff. If you have wood siding, look for openings or breakage; this could make it very simple for various critters (i.e., carpenter ants) to find their way in.

2. Observe Your Roof

Once you’ve examined the exterior walls of your home, it’s time to inspect your roof; you do not have to climb onto your roof to do this! From the ground, search for any broken, absent, or misaligned shingles. If you notice any of these characteristics, you may need to have new fasteners installed by a professional.

Also, if you notice an abundance of “nature’s leftovers” (i.e., pine needles, leaves, etcetera) built up in “the valleys” of your roof, make sure to have those cleaned out to ensure no lingering issues are hiding underneath them.

3. Inspect the Chimney

While peering at your roof, if you have a masonry chimney, give it a detailed glance, too. If you notice roots or weeds growing out of the chimney stack or a brick is cracked or damaged, this could be a sign that you’re experiencing water damage.

4. Caulk and Weatherstrip Your Windows

In a conscious effort to reduce the chance of air leakage in your home, make sure to caulk and weatherstrip your windows during the spring. Not only will this help keep cold air created by your central air conditioning system indoors, but it will lessen the possibility of hot, summer air entering your home from the great outdoors.

However, if you did caulk and weatherstrip your windows the year before but noticed condensation inside the glass during the winter, you may need to replace the pane or window altogether.

5. Repair Your Poured-Concrete Foundation

When taking a closer look at the foundation of your home, did you notice any cracks? If so, unlike caulking a window, caulk won’t be able to help you here. You’ll need to have the cracks chemically bonded with a two-part epoxy injection system — a professional foundation specialist will assist you here.

6. Schedule a Tune-Up for Your Central Air Conditioner

Scheduling an air conditioning tune-up before summer is vital. With an 18-point air conditioning inspection, a professional will help increase your unit’s performance and efficiency, catch small problems before they turn into more expensive issues down the road, and increase the unit’s lifespan, as well as its safety.

7. Scout Plumbing Leaks

Have you kept a close eye on your home’s plumbing system during the winter? If not, it’s crucial to examine every square inch of it in the spring. From sweaty pipes to water stains around your washing machine, if anything seems out of the ordinary, it’s vital to contact a plumber right away to assess the situation before these matters have the chance to worsen.

8. Visit the Basement

Does the lowest level of your home seem to be damp? If so, this can indicate that your space has insufficient ventilation (which leads to abnormally high levels of humidity). In addition to dampness, be sure to inspect your poured-concrete walls for water penetration, as well as the exposed framing, to see if you may have a pest-related problem on your hands.

9. Observe the Attic

An often-overlooked space in a home is the attic. To ensure that yours is problem-free, head up to the storage space and look for signs that wildlife may have moved in during the winter. Also, with a keen eye, look for potential mold growth — this can indicate that poor ventilation is present.

10. Care for Your Deck

Whether it can be found at the front or back of your humble abode, now is the perfect time to inspect your deck and revitalize it. When walking on the wooden structure, look for anything that appears to be out of the ordinary, such as loose or warped planks. Additionally, if you feel your deck has seen better days, spring would be the ideal time to restrain the structure, as well as reseal it.

11. Make Your Windows Glisten

Do your windows seem rather dingy? If so, spring into action and clean those panes indoors and outdoors! To spruce up your windows in the most effective way possible, here’s what you need to do:

• Create a homemade window cleaner by mixing one cup of water with one cup of rubbing alcohol. Next, add a tablespoon of white vinegar and mix the three.

• From there, spray the solution onto the window and use a microfiber cloth (or squeegee) to remove the cleaning agent off as seamlessly as possible.

12. Freshen Up Your Outdoor Furniture

Regardless of how you stored your patio furnishings, they’ll probably need a quick wash before you’re able to relax and unwind. Using a hose, give your furniture a much-needed shower. If you feel that your furnishings could benefit from some more TLC, consider applying a mild cleaning solution, lather the furniture up, and then hose it down.

13. Get a Head Start on Your Lawn

Want to ensure that you have a healthy lawn when the summer sunshine rolls around? If so, start your lawn prep now. Taking a rake, remove any loose, winter foliage from your lawn. After that, look for any abnormalities in your lawn that you may need to bring to your landscaper’s attention.

Also, make sure to take your lawnmower out of the shed and start it up. You’ll want to ensure that it’s in proper working order — because purchasing a replacement in the next few weeks might be a difficult task (the demand for the landscaping tool will be much higher).

14. Give the Inside of Your Home a Deep Clean

When was the last time you cleaned every square inch of your home? If that has been quite a while, spring is the perfect time to get that accomplished! In addition to cleaning “the usual” areas of your living space, consider adding these spots into the equation:

• Window casings

• Chair rails

• Top of cabinets

• Light fixtures

15. Prep the Grill

Have a grill? Now’s the time to get it ready for summer, friends! To ensure that your outdoor appliance is ready to take on a hearty helping of burgers and hot dogs, you’ll want to give the grill a lid-to-wheels inspection. For instance, if your grill relies on gas, make sure that the burner jets are clean and free of clogs, as well as making sure that all of the grill’s wiring is up to par.

Plumbing and HVAC Services in Knoxville, TN

If you run into a problem with your home’s plumbing, heating, or cooling, and prefer to forgo the DIY route, our technicians are here to help! Visit our website to learn more about the services that we offer here at Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. or call (865) 583-3957 to speak with a representative directly.