11 Important Tasks For Your Spring Home Maintenance List

Winter can be rough on a home. It’s time to make sure all is well.

It’s been a long, tedious winter, hasn’t it?

No matter where you live in the country, chances are the some of the insane weather conditions most of us have had to deal with have affected some part of your home. Wind, snow, ice, and extended sub-zero temperatures all take their toll — especially in areas where this kind of weather is rare.

Spring is the traditional time for house cleaning in anticipation of sunnier, warmer days. Typically, this means sweeping out all the dust, cleaning carpets, changing curtains, clearing attics, and such. This year, it may be a good idea to add some tasks that often get forgotten.

Here are ten home maintenance tasks to include in your spring cleaning to-do list.

Check your roof

Snow, ice, heavy rains, and wind can have a brutal effect on your roof over time, and because it’s all the way “up there,” it’s easy to forget. “Out of sight, out of mind,” and all. Remember, however, your roof is the first line of defense against water damage. Take a sturdy ladder and carefully climb up to check for missing shingles, soft spots, or anything else suspicious.

Small problems that get fixed now keep them from becoming big, expensive problems later.

Clean the gutters

While on the way to the roof, you’ll want to give your rain gutters a quick inspection as well. You may have already done this after the last of the fall leaves blew off the trees, but it’s smart to recheck them as spring weather sets in. Clogged gutters fail to redirect rainwater away from your house and could lead to damage if ignored too long. Many people fail to notice water damage to their home — either inside their walls or pooling in the basement — until it’s too late.

And then there is mold to consider as a result. Costs for repair, remediation, and mold removal all add up to quickly.

Prep your yard tools

Are the lawnmower and hedge clippers all set to take on another year of yard maintenance? Inspect the blades, engine oil, and fuel levels where necessary. Check that everything works as it should, and safely so.

If any of your yard tools appear rusted or broken down, don’t hesitate to get them replaced. Inadequate equipment could quickly become a serious safety hazard.

Do some outdoor sprucing up

With the snow melted and the ice gone, how does the outside of your home look? Time to either clean or throw out the yard items and children’s toys that never made it under cover before winter.

This is also a good time to touch up the paint to any cracks that have formed along doors and windows and to see if any part of your walkway or driveway needs repair. Don’t forget to check any fences on your property and the condition of porches and decks that have just spent the past few months subjected to the elements.

Many of these fixes are reasonably cheap if caught early.

Inspect door and window seals

Varying winter conditions can lead to cracks and hardening of caulk and other weather seals. Examine any seals you can find around doors and windows to see if any need fixing or replacement. When the rainy spring weather arrives, this will help keep water from getting into your home and causing damage. Effective seals will also help your air-conditioning system to operate more efficiently come summer.

Check window screens

Window screens can also get damaged surprisingly easily. Whether the damage might come from storm debris or some indoor factor (like a cat), you only want to allow air to pass through the screen — not bugs. Check each of the screens on your windows and doors to see if any need replacing. You might get lucky and find only a few small holes that can be easily patched.

Examine appliances for possible issues

Don’t take your home appliances for granted. That could end up with small problems becoming big ones that require expensive repairs or replacement. Your owners’ manuals will have maintenance information, but some things you can check right away include:

Gas ovens — make sure lighting areas are clean and free of debris.
Clothes dryer — check vents leading out for lint and other obstructions.
Refrigerator — Clean the coils in the rear and throw away old food items. This will allow your appliance to work less hard and expend less energy.
Dishwasher — Give it a close examination to be sure it’s clean, draining correctly, and free of mold. Use a commercial dishwasher cleaning solution or, in a pinch, a cup of distilled vinegar.

Check the condition of your HVAC filters

Actually, this should be done more than once a year — check your owner manuals for a recommended schedule. This is one of those chores that get commonly forgotten. If you haven’t checked them lately, examine your filters for signs they need attention. A filter in poor condition will make your heating and air-conditioning systems work harder.

An over-working HVAC system will cost you serious money in very little time.

Check the water heater

As time goes on, sediment is likely building up inside your water heater tank. This results in water discoloration and other problems. To address this, get a bin to catch water and open the spigot near the heater’s bottom. This will lengthen the life of your water heater and have a positive impact on your energy bill.

Replace batteries on all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Don’t wait for the annoying chirp of a weak-battery alarm. Get ahead of the game by replacing those batteries sooner than later and then testing the alarm sound. There’s no reason to risk your home and family to smoke or carbon monoxide on the assumption that the batteries are still good.

Check any vehicles that have sat dormant over the winter

Some people have cars and motorcycles that are only used during the more pleasant months. The problem is that sitting idle for months — especially after a hard winter — can mean they need small bits of maintenance before going on the road again. Check tires, windshields, and fluids at the very least. You may want to make sure nothing has blown into the exhaust systems as well.

When taking a vehicle on the road for the first time in months, take it slow and make sure breaks and steering are as responsible as they should be. If you have any reason to question your vehicle’s safety, take it in to your mechanic for a full inspection.

A little maintenance goes a long way

I feel it’s important to point out that while springtime is the traditional time to take on many cleaning and maintenance tasks, these should be kept somewhere in mind throughout the entire year.

If you take a little time to fix minor problems now, you’ll save yourself aggravation and money later should they become major problems. There is some excellent truth in the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Words to live by.

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