Spring means that you need to do some home maintenance. Find out what it's time to do by reading this informative article!
In nature, Spring means the rebirth of the beautiful green and flourishing earth. However, to homeowners, Spring means that it's time to perform some yearly maintenance items.
Inside the House:
1. As the old saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers." However, Spring rains can also cause dampness, or even standing water, in your basement. Inspect your basement walls and floor for cracks
and other damage that are allowing water to seep in; repair as needed.
2. Now is the time to get your central air conditioning unit, or your portable window units, ready for the season. Start by uncovering your air conditioning units. Then, take the air filters out and either clean or replace them with new ones. Vacuum the vents in your portable window units to remove dirt and dust.
3. You should have closed up the air vents in your attic last Fall. Now that it's warm weather season again, you'll need to open them back up for proper ventilation.
Outside the House:
1. If you have removeable storm windows on your house, you should take them out of the windows and doors now. Clean them with glass cleaner and paper towels before you store them away for the season. With the storm windows removed, now is a good time to clean the windows and the glass in all of the doors around your house.
2. Clean out the gutters and downspouts on your house. Also, inspect them to make sure there are no leaky spots. You can buy a patching compound to fix any holes or breaks in the gutters.
3. Inspect your concrete or blacktop driveway, sidewalks, patios, and porches. Use a good quality patching compound to repair any cracks, holes, et cetera, that you may find.
If your driveway is constructed of gravel, check to see if you need to add more stone to it. You can use a garden rake to fill in bare spots, but if too much of the gravel got washed away, you'll need to replace it.
Around the Yard:
1. In order to prepare your riding tractor or push mower for the grass mowing season, first get your equipment out of storage. Then, replace the spark plugs, fuel filters, and air filters. Check the batteries to make sure they are in good condition. Also, you'll need to inspect all belts, lines, fittings, et cetera, and replace as needed. Finally, change the oil in your riding tractor and/or push mower and lubricate the fittings.
Performing yearly maintenance on your lawn equipment not only saves you repair time later, but it also saves you money. Power equipment that's kept in good condition not only runs better, but it also runs more efficiently.
2. If you have a septic tank system, this is a good time to check it. If it needs to be cleaned out, schedule an appointment with a reputable company.
3. You'll probably need to clean up your yard in the Spring. This is especially true if you live in a cold weather climate. The storms of Winter often bring down tree branches and other debris.
4. You should also inspect your yard to see if there are any bare or damaged spots of grass that need reseeded.
