Come springtime, the days are longer and temperatures are just right for throwing open the windows and doing a little spring cleaning! It isn’t just a great time to clean out your closets; it’s a great time to give your house some sprucing, inside and out! Below is a great start to a spring preventative maintenance checklist!
Lawn & Garden
- Rake out the last of the winter leaves and debris.
- Lay fresh pine straw or mulch.
- Check outdoor faucets and hoses for leaks.
- Service your lawn equipment. Drain old fuel, change the oil, and sharpen the blades.
- If you are planning to hire a lawn care and landscape service, now is the time to sign up or renew your contract!
Exterior of Your Home
- Inspect the outside of your home for cracks in the concrete, façade, and foundation. Check for standing water. Make plans to have these repairs done before the weather turns rainy.
- Everyone’s favorite task clean the gutters! Rotten wood on the eaves is almost always traced back to a leaking gutter seam. This most often occurs where two sections are joined together, usually in the corners. A simple fix is to make sure that all gutter seams are properly caulked in addition to keeping them cleaned out.
- Pressure wash your home’s façade, sidewalks, and decking. Dirt and grime can slowly damage paint and stonework.
- Paint and stain any peeling or chipping areas, protecting your home and decking from water damage and rot.
- Again, if you are planning to hire a professional, now is the time!
Interior of Your Home
- Clean dust and debris from refrigerator coils, inspecting ice maker supply lines.
- Clean out dryer vents to improve the safety and performance of your appliance.
- Have your HVAC unit, ducts, and vents serviced.
- Check your water pressure regulator. Every home has one, and it is designed to control water pressure from the street to your appliances and fixtures. Most household plumbing fixtures are designed to operate in the 40 PSI range anything over 40 PSI could result in damage and leaks. Annually checking your regulator is a great preventive measure!
- Check your plumbing, ceilings, and walls for signs of water leaks. Also, Have these repairs made in a timely manner to avoid prolonged damage.
- Check your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers.
- Scheduling Tips
Be ahead of the seasons. Make your list according to the seasons. No one wants to paint the exterior of a home in the middle of summer. If you plan to use professional services, like Waynes, to tackle some of your tasks, beat the crowd and schedule your services early.
Create a schedule that works for you. Use a scheduling tool that sends reminders and allows you to easily share tasks with other people. As the adage goes, “Many hands make light work.”
Break Tasks Into Categories
Separating tasks can help you visualize and prioritize. We recommend breaking it down into indoor, exterior, and lawn and landscape tasks. Include in each section plans for bathroom remodels, adding landscaping, or adding an outdoor patio.
We understand finding the time is nearly impossible, but you’ve invested so much already and preventative maintenance will help to reduce potential future stressors. Don’t let 2019 be the year of home emergencies, give Waynes a call. We have a general maintenance program that can take the guess-work out of caring for and remodeling your home. Call us today at 1-866-WAYNES-1.
