Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
As warm weather approaches, it is a good time to give your home a thorough inspection inside and out. This will ready your home for the months to come and should become part of your annual routine. Follow this spring home maintenance checklist to keep your home in tip-top shape.
You can do most of these maintenance items yourself or schedule someone to do the things you cannot do or don’t want to do.
Exterior Spring Home Maintenance
Roof
Start at the top and work your way down and out. Get up on the ladder and inspect your roof for loose or damaged shingles. Look for any cracks or leaks on your roof or chimney that, if not repaired, will cause problems in your home. Also, look at your shingles for any granule loss. The granules are the texture of the shingles. Replace them if they don’t have any texture left.
Check for any moss or piles of leaves and remove them. The moisture under the leaves and moss can cause costly leaks.
By inspecting your roof annually, you can easily catch issues before they become major damage that is costly to repair.
Gutters
While you’re up there, clean your gutters and downspouts. Your gutters may have filled with leaves and other debris, which will block the flow of rainwater. Rain gutters protect your roof, walls, and foundation from water damage.
Not only will the leaves and debris block the water flow, but it also makes the perfect home for mold, pests, bees, and rodents.
Cleaning the gutters should be done twice a year in the Spring and Fall.
Power Wash
Power wash everything! Clean your siding, windows, fences, patios, decks, garage, and driveway. It feels good to get all the winter grime washed away so you can enjoy your exterior spaces.
Fences, Decks, Railings, Siding
Exterior woodwork takes a beating from the harsh elements of winter. After you have power-washed wood fences, decks, and railings, inspect for any damage.
Look to see if the wood has started to splinter. You can sand these smooth and paint them or replace them if badly damaged. If you have stained wood surfaces that need a refresher, sand these surfaces smooth and apply a coat of stain. They will look just like new!
Windows and Screens
This is the best time to clean your windows to make your home sparkle. Follow these tips from The Family Handyman on How to Clean Windows Like the Pros.
Don’t forget to wash your screens while washing the windows. While cleaning the screens, be sure to check them for any rips or holes. It is important to repair your screens so that bugs can’t easily enter your house while you are enjoying the fresh summer air. Follow these steps from The Family Handyman on How to Fix a Window Screen.
Driveway and Concrete Pathways
Just as the winter elements beat up the deck, so do your driveway and sidewalks. Once you have power washed these surfaces, check for any severe cracks. When the cracks are fairly large, it allows water to get into the cracks, freeze, and expand, which causes further damage and costly repairs.
You may need to patch or reseal your driveway and pathways if the cracks become substantial. Failure to maintain will result in major repairs or even necessary replacement down the road.
Doors and Lighting
Check your doors for any worn-out or missing weather stripping. Having weather stripping in good condition saves on your home’s energy bills and keeps the bugs out!
Check the hardware on the doors for any squeaks and spray with WD40 to keep them quiet. Tighten any loose hardware and handles.
Clean your exterior lights and check for any damage. Replace bulbs as necessary.
While you’re at it, clean and check your mailbox to be sure all is secure.
Air Conditioning System
Trim the foliage around your air conditioning system to allow air to flow freely.
Clean and replace the filter and then clean the coil and condensation pump. Regular service extends the lifespan of the unit and increases efficiency. This, in turn, saves money on your power bill. You may contact Home Advisor to schedule your annual air conditioner inspection.
Garage and Exterior Pipes
Power wash your garage floors to get rid of all the winter grime. Store any winter seasonal items and bring out the summer gear!
Check any exterior pipes for leaks and repair as necessary.
Miscellaneous Spring Maintenance
These Spring Home Maintenance items may or may not apply to you.
Hot Tub-Spring is a great time to drain the hot tub and thoroughly clean it. Refill with fresh water. Be sure to clean the exterior and cover as well.
Septic Tank-If you have a septic tank, you will want to have it pumped every 3-5 years.
Spray for Mosquitos: If you live in an area prone to many mosquitos and bugs, consider spraying your exterior spaces with Ortho Defense Spray. While there is no way to completely rid of all bugs during summer, this will cut down the mosquitos by a lot so you can enjoy those summer evenings on the porch.
Basement Window Wells-Clean out your basement window wells and under your deck. These areas tend to be a favorite place for gathering leaves and other debris.
Interior Spring Home Maintenance
Interior Pipes
Just as you checked the pipes outside your house for any leaks and damage, check all interior pipes as well. Check under all sinks to be sure everything is secure. Repair as necessary.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Check all of your smoke and carbon Monoxide Detectors to ensure they are functional. If you change your batteries once a year, you will avoid that annoying chirp in the middle of the night and keep your family safe.
Fireplace
Wood Burning-Clean out your fireplace and have a chimney sweep come to clean the interior of your chimney. Doing this annually will ensure you don’t have any soot build-up that can catch fire.
Gas-Turning off the gas to your fireplace and furnace pilot lights save on your gas bill.
Air Conditioner and Furnace Filters
Change out your furnace and air conditioner filter so your units will run efficiently.
Hot Water Heater
It is a good idea to drain your hot water heater annually. This removes any sediment resting in the bottom and allows your hot water heater to function well.
Refrigerator
While doing your spring cleaning, be sure to pull the refrigerator from the wall and vacuum the coils in the back and under the refrigerator. This allows the compressor not to have to work as hard to preserve the life of your appliance.
Defrost the freezer as well if there is a coat of ice. Change out the water filter on your ice maker to keep your water fresh.
Fire Extinguisher
Check your fire extinguishers to be sure they are all fully charged.
Final Thoughts About Your Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
Most items on the spring home maintenance checklist will be a quick inspection and won’t take much time to complete. If you haven’t been doing this for a while, it may take a bit more work the first year but gets easier each year as you keep up on things. Following this checklist annually will keep your home in top condition.
Along with Home Maintenance, you may want to follow these other spring guides.
