It's official: spring has sprung. We will let you enjoy the sun for a moment, but we know that warm weather brings many things, one of them being housework. Trying to be proactive for spring cleaners and spring market hopefuls, Carson Dunlop has compiled a list of maintenance items, both annual and monthly, to help keep your property secure and your family comfortable - whether you're sprucing your home up for the season or purchasing a new one.
The list below is the top ten maintenance items we encourage homeowners to consider as they begin their spring cleaning. It is by no means all-inclusive, but it should help you get started on the right foot this season.
Top Ten Spring Maintenance Items
- Clean the gutters - it's important to ensure they remain unobstructed to help keep water flowing where it should. Click here to see our article on gutter maintenance tactics.
- Check for damaged roofing and flashing materials - we encourage you to perform this task twice a year, preferably in the spring and fall when it's easier to gain an unobstructed view of your roof. Click here to see our article on protecting your roof.
- Cut back trees and shrubs from the house walls, roof and air conditioning systems as needed.
- Clean the tracks on horizontal sliding windows annually, and ensure the drain holes are clear.
- On a monthly basis, test ground fault circuit interrupters, arc fault circuit interrupters, carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors using the test button. Click here to learn more about ground fault circuit interrupters. Click here to learn about carbon monoxide detectors.
- Service your furnace or boiler yearly - why not check it off your list as you complete the rest of your spring maintenance?
- Check your furnace filters, humidifiers and electronic air cleaners monthly. Click here to read about how furnace filter maintenance is economic and responsible.
- Check your bathtub and shower caulking monthly and improve promptly as needed.
- Turn on outdoor water faucets in the spring - and remember to turn them off in the fall.
- Check your attic for evidence of leaks and condensation and make sure vents are not obstructed - try to complete this task every season, but failing that, ensure you check twice a year.
Interested in more home maintenance advice? Carson Dunlop's Home Reference Book has a wealth of information for homeowners, outlining how the systems in a home work, and what it means when they fail to work. Offered in two convenient formats, soft cover and eBook, the Home Reference Book is a great guide to homeownership. To learn more or purchase the book, please click here or call 800.268.7070.