As you take time to declutter your closets and pantries, don’t forget about the home maintenance tasks that need to be addressed each spring. Rather than waiting for something in your home to break, crack, or stop working completely, take the time each year to perform an annual tune-up on your home’s major systems and features.
1. Repair Caulking Around Your Windows
Caulking around windows can break down over time, allowing cold or warm air to enter. Each spring, make sure to check the caulking for tears, cracks, or gaps, and replace it with new caulk.
2. Service Your HVAC
Rather than wait for your HVAC to go out in the middle of a heat wave, take the time now to have your unit serviced. It’s also a good idea to replace the air filters in your home.
3. Declutter Your Home
Take the springtime to go through closets, drawers, and unused rooms to declutter. Make the job go faster by creating three piles: keep, donate, and toss.
4. Deep Clean Your Home’s Major Appliances
Show some love to the appliances that worked double-time over the holidays by doing a deep clean on your microwave, oven, fridge, and dishwasher.
5. Check for Wood Rot
Rotted wood is soft to the touch, so simply poke any wood that you’re suspicious of. Repair any wood rot immediately, and make sure to locate the source of the moisture problem as well. Oftentimes, wood rot happens when water overflows from clogged gutters or bounces up from the ground onto lower parts of your home.
6. Clean Your Dryer Vent
Clogged dryer vents cause fires! Prevent this hazard by cleaning out your dryer vents each spring. Don’t worry if you’ve never tackled this project before; you can easily accomplish this task in an afternoon.
7. Pressure Wash Your Home
Grime and dirt from rain and leaves tend to build up on your home’s exterior. If left too long, siding can even grow unsightly green mold. Add pressure washing to your spring home maintenance list each year to keep your home’s exterior looking brand new.
8. Check Your Roof
Grab a ladder or call a professional to make sure all shingles are in place. Check the flashing around the chimney and any skylights as well.
9. Clean Your Gutters
Now is the time to clear your gutters of debris from the harsh winter, allowing them to function properly just in time for spring showers. Make sure all downspouts are turned away from your home so that water isn’t collecting at the foundation.
10. Inspect Your Deck
Unlike composite decks, wood decks require yearly maintenance to stay in pristine condition. Once the pollen has stopped, clean your deck with a solution of one part bleach to three parts water. After the deck is dry, add a fresh coat of stain.
11. Inspect Your Basement or Crawl Space
Moisture loves to creep into basements or crawl spaces and wreak havoc when we’re not paying attention. Left untreated, moisture can quickly create mold or fungus, leading to a problem that requires experts to eradicate. Check your crawl space and basement each spring for signs of moisture or water damage.
