Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Springtime means longer days and warmer weather. It’s the perfect time to get outdoors, roll up your sleeves and tackle your spring home maintenance checklist. Who knows what damage the winter months may have caused.

Check this list off every spring to prolong the life of your home’s roof and structure, landscaping, appliances and more. Some of these tasks are potentially dangerous, so consider hiring a professional.

Inside Your Home

Get ready for summer with these important spring home maintenance tips. Performing seasonal cleanings and inspections is the best way to ensure that everything stays safe and functional inside your home.

Check Your Smoke Alarms

Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors each spring. While you’re at it, be sure to check the expiration dates on your fire extinguishers, too.

Ideally, you should install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Most home insurance companies offer special discounts if you install smoke detectors, especially if they’re centrally monitored. Check with your home insurance carrier to find out.

Service Your Appliances

It’s easy to take your appliances for granted, but they can falter at any time. A little preventive maintenance can reduce the chances of a mechanical breakdown. You may want to familiarize yourself with their respective owner’s manuals before you begin.

• Make sure your air conditioning system is in proper working order before the dog days of summer. For best results, change the air conditioning filter every 90 days. A dirty air filter makes it hard for your AC to do its job.
• Test your kitchen and bathroom fans. Your kitchen fan is responsible for removing smoke generated by cooking, while your bathroom exhaust fan removes the moisture generated by showers. If this type of air isn’t vented properly, it can lead to mold or rot.
• Clean behind and underneath your refrigerator using a vacuum cleaner. Clear the drip pan at the bottom of the unit too.
• Check your dryer’s vent for lint buildup and clear it out. Vacuum behind and underneath the dryer as well. Moisture, dirt and lint can accumulate quickly.

Check Your Attic and Basement

Your attic and basement are both important parts of your spring home maintenance checklist. Make sure that water isn’t entering either place, as leaks could lead to costly repairs. When checking your basement, look specifically for cracks in your foundation. When checking your attic, also look around for any signs of critters.

Inspect Your Windows

Time to change your storm windows to screens and let the fresh air in. As you’re swapping them out, be sure to inspect any wood trim or sills for signs of decay. Repair or replace as needed.

Spring is a good time to check the caulking around your windows too. If you see gaps or cracking, scrape off the old caulking and apply a new bead. This will keep water and unwanted insects out of your home. A properly sealed window will also keep the heat inside and your energy bills down. These same tips apply for the trim around your door frames.

Outside Your Home

Keep the outside of your home in prime condition with these important spring home maintenance tips.

Inspect Your Roof

Your roof is the ultimate defense system for your home, so try to prioritize it on your spring checklist. Hire a roofing contractor in your area to inspect your roof for missing, cracked, buckled or loose shingles. Any damaged shingles should be repaired or replaced right away, as water is your home’s number one enemy.

If your home has an older roof, you may want to start a budgeting for a replacement. A new bathroom vanity can wait, but a leaky roof cannot.

Examine Your Chimney

Many homeowners forget that their chimney needs care too. Have your roofing contractor examine the exterior of the chimney for signs of damage. This includes checking the flashing around the chimney’s base. If there’s damage, it should be repaired right away. Hire a certified chimney sweep to clean and inspect your chimney’s flue.

Clear Out Your Gutters

Gutters and downspouts need to be in working order year round, as they ensure that water is diverted from your home’s foundation. Hire a professional to remove any leaves and debris, and confirm that the gutters are securely attached to the house. Even if you just completed this step in the fall, there’s a good chance they need some care in the spring too. As a final check, ask them to run some water in your gutters to make sure it flows out of the downspouts and away from your foundation.

Reseal Outdoor Woodwork

This spring, you may want to give your deck, fence or other structures a maintenance coat of paint or stain for extra protection. This will prevent the wood from graying, splitting or rotting. If you come across any damaged wood, repair or replace it and then touch it up with the same paint or stain so it blends in.

Look for Cracks in Your Driveway

Spring is the ideal time to examine your driveway for cracks that may have formed over the winter. Repair as needed. For smaller cracks, you can use a tube of crack filler. For larger cracks, use driveway patch and the back of a shovel to tamp it down.

If your driveway is covered with cracks, or the asphalt is looking weathered and gray, you may want to resurface it completely. You can do this yourself with a large squeegee and a bucket of sealant or hire a professional.

Maintain Your Lawn

A beautiful front lawn is one of the best ways to enhance your home’s curb appeal. With that in mind, here are some suggested tips:

• Fertilize your lawn after your routine spring cleaning.
• Check your lawn equipment to make sure it’s ready for summer use. Sharp blades make yard work a lot easier, so sharpen any cutting tools that you have. You’ll also want to charge batteries and replace old gas.
• If you have an in-ground irrigation system, spring is the best time to inspect and service your sprinkler heads.
• Test your outdoor water spigots and garden hoses. Look for leaking valves in particular.

Clean Your Home’s Exterior

If your home has vinyl siding, you may want to rent a power-washer this spring and give it a good cleaning. You can power-wash your windows too. If your home is painted, touch up any spots where the paint may be flaking or faded.

Another routine spring maintenance task to add to your checklist is removing any material that may be leaning against your home. For example, that stack of firewood you had up against the house all winter needs to be moved, as insects love to breed in dark, moist areas. Also, be sure to remove any foliage or debris on top of your outdoor air conditioning units.

Check for Termite Damage

Look for termite damage around your home’s wooden sill plate. On most homes, the sill plate anchors the house to the foundation. You can see the sill plate if you look along the top of the masonry walls from the inside of your basement or crawl space.

If it shows signs of damage, call a licensed exterminator right away. Exterminators are usually quite busy in the spring, so the sooner you check your sills the better. Depending on where you live, you may also want to spray for mosquitoes and other pests.