Home Tips for Spring

Here are a few home maintenance tips for spring.

Outside the home:

• Check for loose or leaky gutters. Improper drainage away from the home can lead to water in the basement or crawl space. Make sure that your gutters are cleaned of debris, secured property to the house, and that the downspouts are long enough to drain away from the foundation of the home.
• Check outside hose faucets for freeze damage. To check for freeze damage, turn the water on and place your thumb or finger over the opening. If you can stop the water from flowing, this likely means you have a damaged pipe inside the home, and you’ll need to replace it.
• Check your wooden deck. Replace any boards that are warped, splintered or cracked before you get into the barbeque season, and give your wooden deck a new coat of weatherproofing sealant.
• Seal around windows and doors. Air leaks happen around windows and doors, and with the hazy, hot and humid weather around the corner, now is a good time to caulk seams and re-glaze windows, where needed.
• Check your sidewalks and other concrete areas. Ice melt can cause concrete to crack. If you notice that your walkways or patio cracked or shifted over the winter, now is a good time to make those repairs.
• Trim shrubbery. If there are any scrubs or trees that rub up against the home, now is a good time to trim them back before a thunderstorm rolls through. Inspect the exterior of your home for loose siding, shutters or shingles; and if your home is painted, check for peeling or cracked paint. When it comes to exterior repairs, particularly anything that involves heights, we strongly recommend you call a professional so repairs can be done safely.

Inside the home:

• Check smoke detectors. If you haven’t done so already, replace the batteries in all of your smoke detectors. This should be done in the spring and again in the fall to keep them working properly and your family safe.
• Inspect attic for leaks. If you have an attic that is accessible, the spring is a good time to crawl up there and inspect for leaks. These will be fairly noticeable as water marks will show on the insulation.
• Get AC inspected. Schedule a check-up for your air conditioning unit with your heating and cooling company. They will inspect your unit and make sure it is running at maximum efficiency before the summer heat hits.
• Change ceiling fan rotation. For summer months, ceiling fans should rotate counter-clockwise, as you look at it from below.