Spring into Spring: 11 Seasonal Updates

The approach of spring means more than just the thawing of snow and the ability to venture outdoors without scarves and jackets. With spring comes the responsibility of ensuring that your property is ready for the upcoming change of seasons. Be sure to update your spring home maintenance checklist this year with the following tasks in order to adequately prepare for the rising temperatures.

Air Conditioning

Schedule a maintenance visit. Because you’ll be transitioning from using heat to air conditioning, spring is a good time to get your system checked and tuned up. If anything is wrong with it, you don’t want to find out after it’s already unbearably hot. Additionally, emergency service can be a lot costlier than a regularly scheduled maintenance call.

Change your air filters. Don’t forget to stay on top of changing your filters as well. Dirty filters cause the air conditioning system to work harder, which can negatively impact your energy bills.

Clean and repair window screens. A great way to keep energy costs low is to keep windows open overnight instead of running the A/C. Of course, this is only a good option if you live somewhere that gets cool enough at night.

Check your windows and doors for cracks and gaps. Any small gaps in the caulking or weather stripping can let cool air out and, consequently, prompt you to crank your A/C up to compensate. To keep bills low, redo the caulking or weather stripping in any problem areas to make sure they’re completely sealed off.

Roofs

Inspect your roof for broken or missing shingles and any other issues. Winter storms often cause roof damage that can lead to leaks and expensive water damage. If you are worried about getting up on the roof yourself, hire a Best Pick roofing company to do an inspection for you. Reputable companies should be happy to show you pictures of any damage they find, and they can give you a quote for the repair costs.

Gutters

Check your gutters to make sure they are not clogged. With inevitable spring and summer showers, your gutters need to be clear of debris so that they can properly direct water away from your home to prevent leaks or damage. If you find that your gutters are dirty, clean them out at the start of the season.

Lawn

If you have a sprinkler system, check that it is in good, working order. As the weather gets warmer, your grass can dry out if it is not properly watered. Conversely, overwatering or leaking systems can drive up water bills. No matter what type of system you use to water, check that it is functioning correctly, and make any necessary repairs before it gets too hot.

Inspect lawn mowers, and sharpen blades or fill with gas as needed. You should do this at the beginning of the season as well as periodically throughout the spring and summer. The better condition your mower is in, the longer it will last and the better your lawn will look.

Spring Cleaning

Organize your closets. Closets have a tendency to become stockpiles for all kinds of random junk. Accumulations like this are not only an eyesore, but they also make it hard to find what you’re looking for in a hurry. Pack away and store any bulky winter clothing and accessories since they have a tendency to take up a lot of space and you won’t need them for another six months or so. Rearrange your clothes so that they are grouped by color and/or type. This will make putting together outfits much easier and save you time in the mornings.

Clean your floors. Whether you have carpets, hardwoods, or tile, floors collect dirt quickly and need to be regularly cared for. While you probably already sweep, mop, and vacuum fairly often, giving your floors a deeper clean every now and then is still recommended. Finally getting out that one stubborn stain or revitalizing your grout can do wonders for a room’s look and feel.

Thoroughly clean your appliances. Much like floors, appliances get frequent use and probably only light, general upkeep, so it’s a good idea to put a detailed appliance cleaning on your spring cleaning checklist.

By incorporating these seasonal maintenance tips into your spring cleaning plan of action, your home’s transition into the warmer months should go rather seamlessly. While it may seem like a lot of work up front, all the tasks are preventative measures that will keep you from having to make stressful, expensive repairs later.