Check, check, check! This house is ready to relax and enjoy Spring. Trees are trimmed back away from the home, brick work is in good shape, gutters have been cleared, and annual flowers are planted.
Pittsburgh Spring brings us hope. Even though we have many overcast and rainy days, the warmer weather, longer days, and budding flowers bring us new energy. The chance to spend more time outside is a welcome relief to our whole family, and we are incredibly grateful for the days our kids can climb trees and play in the yard.
Make sure your home feels the love as well. Although you may feel refreshed after a long winter, your home may still be recovering from the cold, ice, snow, and wind whipped at it all last season.
Now’s the time to give your home a thorough inspection to ensure you can enjoy your home and yard all season along.
From the Top to the Bottom: Spring Maintenance Tasks You Don’t Want to Miss
This spring checklist will work from the top of your house down to the foundation. Here’s what to watch for:
1. Check your roof. Don’t worry—you don’t necessarily need to climb up a ladder and inspect your roof up close. For most houses, you can use keen eyesight or a pair of binoculars to help you spotcheck your roof’s health. Look for shingles that are missing or shifted. The exposure would allow water to seep into your roof or attic. If you spot any issues, contact a roofer for help. If you need assistance finding one in your area, check our neighborhood reports.
2. Check your chimney. As with your roof, you may not need to climb a ladder to spot check your chimney. With a good set of eyes or binoculars, check for the following:
Missing or crumbling joints
Vegetation growing from your chimney
White mineral deposits known as efflorescence (this is a sign that your joints are collecting water instead of repelling it)
Many chimney issues are best addressed by a mason. For helping finding one in your area, check our neighborhood reports.
3. Clean your gutters and downspouts. After the winter storms, your gutters and downspouts could be clogged with leaves, twigs, branches, and more. Letting your gutters go could cause the surrounding wood to rot, and overflowing water could cascade down and impact your foundation.
4. Cut back trees and bushes that have grown too close to your home. Left alone, plant life could damage your siding, windows, or roof—especially in heavy winds. Better to cut back branches and foliage a safe distance to protect your home.
5. Pressure wash your surfaces. Pressure washing is a quick, effective way to clean surfaces like:
Siding
Decks
Walkways
Outdoor furniture
6. Reseal exterior woodwork. Check the finish on your deck, handrails, and any other outdoor construction. It may be time to reseal it. If your wood is painted, look for areas where the paint is chipping or peeling. It may be time for a new coat before the wood underneath has a chance to rot.
7. Look for termites. While you’re giving your wooden surface a thorough inspection, look for evidence of termites. That could include:
Discarded wings (termite wings look like fish scales)
Mud tubes running up your foundation
Maze-like grooves in your wood
Piles of wood dust
8. Check your screens. If you had your screens up all winter, pull them out and scrub them with mild soap and water. Afterward, leave them out on a flat surface to dry. Once dry, inspect your screens for damage. Tears or holes could allow bugs to sneak in. Head to your local hardware store for screen repair kits.
9. Schedule your air conditioning service. The sooner you can do this, the better. Once the temperatures really start to heat up, technicians will be busy, and you may have to wait longer for assistance.
10. Swap out your HVAC filter. While you’re thinking about air conditioning, swap out your HVAC filter.
11. Check the caulking around windows and doors. Cracked or missing caulking could become a pathway for warm air to enter and cool air to exit, making it harder for you to maintain a comfortable temperature in the warmer months.
12. Unclog your drains. This goes for your entire house. Your kitchen drain could be moving fluid slowly if it still has leftover debris from the winter holidays. Your bathroom drains, meanwhile, could be backed up with hair. Consider buying a plumber snake to remove any blockage. Avoid using harsh chemicals, which could lead to other problems later on.
13. Prepare your lawn equipment for the spring and summer. Steps you shouldn’t miss:
Charge batteries (this could include riding mowers, weed whackers, and other power tools)
Sharpen blades. While you should keep your shears sharp, it’s especially important to keep the blade on your mower sharp to avoid damaging your lawn.
Replace old gasoline. If you have leftover gasoline from last season, consider replacing it. Old gasoline is less effective and causes your engine to work harder.
14. Rake your lawn. Any debris that fell down during winter storms could now be suffocating the grass underneath. Remove the debris to give your grass some breathing room and make your job easier when it’s time to mow.
15. Check your walkways for cracks. Constant freezing and thawing over the winter can be terrible for your walkways, so take a stroll around your property and check for damage.
There’s plenty to keep track of each spring, but a detailed list can help you get through it as pain-free as possible. If you keep up with your home every year, these tasks shouldn’t be too bad to get through. By staying on top of your home maintenance, you can keep it from getting on top of you.
Cheers,
Julie & Ted