Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
As ice and snow melt away to make room for flowers and sunshine, it’s important to check on the state of your home and property before the rains of spring hit too hard. If your roof, siding, and foundation are in some form of disrepair from winter hail, wind, and blizzards, something as simple as rain and melting snow can cause flooding and water damage. Follow this checklist to help prevent costly fixes later on.
10 Tips to Prep Your Home for Warm Weather
Once warm weather welcomes you back outdoors, take a look at these specific areas of your home’s exterior. If damage or increased wear has occurred, move them to the top of your home maintenance to-do list.
- Clean gutters and downspouts. Since spring tends to be rainy, it’s important to make sure your gutters and downspouts are moving water efficiently away from your home. Clear out any blockages your gutters may have, from sticks, grass, and other debris that may be slowing down water flow or clogging the spouts. Check for cracks, leaks, gaps, or missing sealant in your gutter system and fix or replace when necessary. If there is any water pooling at the bottom of the downspout, adjust the elbow, replace the splash block, or consider adding an extension to the downspout to run the water far away from the house and away from the foundation.
- Check for signs of wood-damaging insects. Spring is not only the time of year for rain, but also the time for bugs that can damage the structure of your house. Any place that pools rain or water, like clogged gutters or improperly graded areas of your yard, provide perfect nesting grounds for mosquitos, termites, cockroaches, and beetles. If you see any of these critters coming out of a hole in the woodwork, call a pest control company to stop the problem before it turns into irreparable damage.
- Inspect the roof for signs of damage. The colder months can wreak havoc on the shingles and structure of your roof. Damage can lead to leaks that affect your insulation, house structure, and allow for critters like squirrels to enter into your home. Check for missing or damaged shingles (warped, blistered, or curled) and replace them. Check for cracks in the caulk or the rubber boot around the vent pipe. Also check for chimney cap damage. Repair or replace all, as necessary.
- Inspect the siding. Falling branches from storms and melting ice and snow can damage the side of your house, whether it’s stucco, vinyl, wood, or other materials. These damages can lead to moisture becoming trapped underneath the siding that can lead to problems like rot, mold, or other structural issues. Check for gaps, cracks, and holes. Look for buckled, warped, or missing siding or trim. Fix improperly secured pieces of siding. Paint and seal the siding, if necessary.
- Reseal woodwork. Outdoor structures like decks, porches, pergolas, railings, and trellises will last longer if they get sealed at least once every two years. This step may seem daunting, but it is an investment worth making so you won’t need to replace these structures early on because of wood rot.
- Check the foundation, driveways, and paths for signs of crumbling or cracks. Freezing and thawing can be hard on stone, concrete, and asphalt structures. Cracks in your house’s foundation allow water to sneak in and cause indoor flooding. Crumbling paths and driveways allow water to pool underneath their structures, accelerating damage. This pooled water can also provide ideal places for insect nesting. Look for crumbling or chipped concrete, bulges, bowing, or deformities in the structures. Look for cracks or holes in the foundation, weeping or dripping of water (or worse). Repair or replace areas as needed.
- Test sprinkler systems. Run your system to make sure none of the sprinkler heads are broken and adjust the heads so they are facing the right direction, away from your house and street to avoid water problems. If something is not working and you aren’t sure how to fix it, hire a professional.
- Check screen windows and doors. Screens are designed to let warm breezes flow into your home while keeping bugs out, but if any of those screens has holes, they won’t do their job. No matter how big or small the hole, you can usually fix it with a screen repair kit, sold at your local hardware or home improvement store.
- Have your air-conditioner checked in advance. Before spring is in full-swing, schedule an air-conditioning service to come out and check your unit. All because your unit appears to be working doesn’t mean it is running as efficiently as it should. By having a professional maintain your HVAC system once a season, prior to the height of the summer, you will more likely prevent something from breaking when you need it most.
- Prevent mosquitos and other bugs. With all of the new diseases that have appeared over the last decade, from West Nile virus to Zika, it is important to prevent the nesting of mosquitoes on your property. The first line of defense is to make sure there is no standing water. Check your home and yard for any places water may pool and fix it prior to rainy season.
Does your roof need a little TLC before spring?

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