Spring Preventative Maintenance

Spring will soon be here and it will be time for home maintenance after a winter of neglect. Your home is probably the largest investment you will ever make. You should be doing seasonal preventative maintenance on your home. Routine, preventive maintenance will keep
your property looking good, functioning well, will save you time and money in the long haul and keeps the value of your property. The following are tips to extend the life and value of your property.

Inspect your roof for damaged and/or loose shingles.
Inspect flashing around chimneys and vents, don’t forget to check your drip edge for any damage.
Clean your gutters, downspouts and inspect them for any damage. After cleaning your gutters run some water in them to make sure they are flowing properly and that they are directing water away from your foundation.
Inspect your fascia and soffit. Replace any soft or rotted boards, as they will allow water intrusion into your home.
Inspect your exterior painted surfaces for loose, flaking and/or peeling paint. Failing paint on exterior wood surfaces will lead to wood rot, as there is nothing to protect your wood surfaces from the elements.
Inspect the caulk around your exterior doors, windows, corners and any place there is a joint. Caulking your exterior surfaces properly will also prevent water intrusion, AC/Heat loss, drafts and insects from entering your house.
Trim branches and shrubs away from your home. Branches and shrubs can provide a pathway for insects, cause excess moisture to rot your exterior surfaces and/or enter your home and also cause mold/mildew to develop which is not healthy to you and your family.
Pickup any branches that may have fallen during the winter and remove dead branches from trees to prevent them from falling and causing damage to your home, car or bodily injury.
Inspect asphalt and exterior masonry surfaces for cracks that can cause further damage, water intrusion and cost you more money in the end by not repairing and/or waterproofing these surfaces now.
The spring time is perfect for pressure washing your homes exterior and decks, removing dirt, dust, debris, mold and mildew.

Now that you have a list of some preventative maintenance for the exterior of your home, let’s move inside to the interior and do some maintenance.

Check around tubs, showers, sinks, countertops and water faucets to ensure proper caulking. Improper caulk in these areas will lead to water intrusion, damaging drywall, cabinets, floors, etc. This is also a good time to inspect any areas that are tiled for damaged, cracked tile or bad grout.
Inspect and clean your HVAC filter monthly, replace as needed.
Check and clean your clothes dryer vent and stove hood.
If you have a coiled back refrigerator, vacuum the coils.
Give your home a good spring cleaning from top to bottom, this will promote better air quality.
Check you’re A/C before the real hot weather comes.
Check smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector batteries.

The above tips are just a few things to check to keep your home running and looking great. Make your self a check list and you can add to it, as not everything is mentioned here.