March 20th is the First Official Day Of Spring
and snow is in the forecast for Washington DC this Sunday
That is the way of Springtime, warm days & cold nights until the warm weather wins. And of course I'm talking about parts of the country that experience the four seasons. But wherever you live, now is an excellent time to do a home maintenance check. Home ownership is all about maintaining your property. I find Google calendar alerts very helpful.Putting alerts on the calendar for things like, changing the filter in the HVAC or cleaning out the gutters is easy to do and will keep you on top of your home maintenance.
Since it's YouTube Thursday here on Active Rain, I've shared a gutter talk video featuring the lovely and talented Marshall Henderson and Stephen Mercer. These guys know their gutters!
Your Quick Spring Maintenance Checklist
- Look at your roof-If you cannot safely climb on the roof, have someone check it for you. Shingles can blow off during winter storms and limbs and debris can cause problems for chimneys, gutters and corners on the rooftop.
- Exterior walls-just like the roof, the walls of the house have been through the cold winter. Look under the eaves and check for wear and tear on the house.
- Foundation-inspect the base of the home where it meets the land. It's possible some of the dirt around the foundation has washed away during the winter. You may need to do some grading to ensure that water moves away from the house.
- Plumbing & outdoor hose bib-if you turned off water to the outdoor hose bib, you can turn it back on in the Spring-late Spring! Check plumbing in the basement to be sure there are no leaks or sweaty pipes.
- HVAC-If I didn't put it on Google Calendar, I would never change our filter. It's just too out of sight to remember but Spring is when you want to make sure you air conditioning is in good operating condition. Change the filter, have it serviced and be prepared for the really warm weather.
- Attic-we have a neighborhood chat room and there's been a lot of talk about critters in the attic! It was a particularly cold and snowy winter here in the Washington DC area so many little animals came indoors. Spring is the perfect time to kick them out. Check your attic for any small holes or areas where mice and birds can get into your home. If you patch holes in the daytime, the animals can't get back into the attic in the evening.
Finally, consider cleaning your house with biodegradable, organic products. Mrs. Meyers products are really nice and always have a fresh natural smell. I've found that the harsher cleaning products are really hard of walls and wood surfaces.
Enjoy the warmer weather, whenever it comes your way!
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