Spring Home Cleaning And Home Maintenance Tips

After one of the toughest winters in recent history, it’s time to inspect your home for any possible signs of winter weather damage. The National Association of Home Builders suggests these 10 things that homeowners should do this spring.

1.Inspect your roof. Check for any loose, warped or missing shingles and make sure the chimney flashing and skylight seals are intact. Learn how to detect whether your roof needs replacing in our FAQ: How can I tell if my roof needs replacing?

2.Clean and repair your gutters. It’s important to clear debris from your gutters and downspouts because blockage can lead to water damage inside of your home. Also check to make sure that your gutters are still securely attached to your house. Loose gutters can also lead to a water problem.

3.Check for leaks. Areas most susceptible to leaking include attics, crawl spaces and washing machine hoses. Also look under sinks for any pipe damage and make sure your water heater shows now signs of corrosion.

4.Clear out exterior drains. Leaves and debris should be removed from any exterior or underground drains to make way for spring showers.

5.Inspect your siding. Check to see if there are any lose pieces of siding that need replacing. If your home has cedar siding make sure to check out our FAQ:How can I tell if my cedar siding needs to be replaced?

6.Examine door & windows seals. The exterior caulking on doors and windows should be watertight—any cracks can lead to unwanted water damage and a less energy efficient home

7.Patch driveway & walkway cracks. If water finds its way into cracks in your pavement during the winter and it freezes that will expand the crack making it a larger problem. Patch the cracks now to avoid any further expansion. Find solutions for a cracked driveway in our FAQ: What can I do about cracks in my blacktop driveway?

8.Give your home an exterior paint job. Giving your home a fresh coat of exterior paint not only boosts your home’s curb appeal, but also helps to protect it from the elements.

9. Get your HVAC inspected.Hire a professional to service your HVAC system to make sure it’s running properly. You should also take this time to change HVAC filters. To find out if you need to hire a professional see our FAQ: Do I need to have my home’s air ducts cleaned regularly?

10. Check the grading of your yard. Your yard’s grading should slope away from your home’s foundation to keep moisture at bay.