Home Maintenance Checklist for Warm Weather
Most people clean their homes in springtime. This season coincides with warm weather, which allows homeowners to tidy up their homes. This is often done in preparation for long upcoming winters when freezing temperatures, wind and snow do not allow much work within the household.
Homeowners usually take advantage of the relatively warm temperatures in spring to tidy up their houses and yards. Longer days and warm weather present ample opportunities to repair damages caused by harsh winters. It is unfortunate that most homeowners do not have an idea about where they need to start. This checklist can be of great help to such individuals.
1) Maintain Yard Growth
It is quite challenging to maintain the backyard in winter. This is, however, easier during warm weather. Due to the inattention that most yards are given when it is too cold even to venture outside, they tend to overgrow. Such yards should be cut to size during springtime home maintenance. This goes a long way in controlling rodents and mosquitoes.
On the other hand, cold weather may destruct parts of the yard, causing grass and flowers to grow irregularly. Spring is the best time to reseed the lawn and repair the damaged areas in the yard. Trees that are are growing in the yard also need to be pruned especially if their branches have grown closer to the house.
Overgrown branches can cause a lot of damage to the roof and gutters, making it necessary to trim them before the weather becomes warmer.
2) Inspect Home Insulation
Insulation systems form an essential part of the household. The air conditioning system of the house needs to be inspected. These appliances help insulate the occupants of the home from harsh weather conditions especially when it gets too hot outside.
Professionals who are well versed in the maintenance of these appliances should be hired because they can detect any deficiencies, which might not be noticed by the homeowner. Hiring them to work on the system before summer sets in is a good way of preparing for warm weather.
It is important to ensure that the filters are replaced on a monthly basis to enable the cooling system to work as efficiently as possible.
Leaking hose connections must also be repaired, just as it is the case with faulty drain pans. When inspecting the insulation unit, it is advisable to also vacuum dust that might have settled on the unit’s interior parts.
Accumulated dust can lower the cooling system’s effectiveness and reduce its lifespan.
3) Test and Lubricate the Garage Door
This is another important home maintenance practice, which should be given priority by homeowners. The garage door ought to be inspected to ensure that there are no broken parts. Strong winter winds might damage parts of the door, especially if they are made of wood.
Grease must be applied on movable parts to avoid wear and tear. In the long run, the lifespan of the door is also increased. Spoilt hinges should either be fixed or replaced.
Ensuring that the garage door is in good condition greatly helps improve the home’s general security.
4) Roof and Chimney Inspection
Frostiness, which is a characteristic of winter, can cause a lot of damage to the roof. During spring, the homeowner needs to carry out a visual checkup of the roof to ensure that it is not damaged.
During this inspection, one should check for any missing shingles or metal pipes. Any other parts that might cause the roof to allow water seepage need to be repaired. This inspection does not necessarily require a ladder.
Binoculars can help one inspect the roof without climbing it. It calls for carefulness to detect any damages. Once they are detected, roof maintenance companies ought to be called immediately to stem the damage.
The chimney has to be inspected alongside the roof to ensure that the linkage between bricks is intact. Most importantly, one should look out for efflorescence. In the event that there are chalk-like deposits on the masonry joints, it means that they are absorbing water. This could weaken the entire structure. Leaking joints ought to be resealed using impervious sealers.
5) Clean up Gutters
This is one of the most important things that must be done while spring cleaning the home. Typically, gutters get filled up with dead vegetation during winter. With time, the vegetation might start rotting and cause clogs. Excessive accumulation of vegetation not only hinders drainage but also causes odors more so if the leaves are decaying.
Decongesting the gutters is quite easy. A ladder and a rake is all that is needed. While carrying out the activity, sprouting vegetation should be pulled out because they can damage the gutters. Once the mess has been removed, the drains should be washed thoroughly using high-pressure water.
6) Paint the Exterior
Cold conditions take a toll on walls and in particular, the paint. Due to continued exposure to humidity, the exterior of homes might get a worn and craggy appearance when spring sets in.
Warm weather presents the best opportunity for repainting the home to restore its appearance. It is not rare to find a home looking old and ragged at the end of winter. Failure to scrape and repaint the walls usually causes cracks and flakes on the walls. This ultimately weakens them.
7) Repair and Clean Windows
With continued use and exposure to weather elements, windows can start leaking. Such situations often limit the efficiency of air conditioning units because most of the cool air will escape. Warm air from outside will also be let into the house.
Leaking parts should be resealed especially if strong winds and frost have compromised the weather seals in winter.
Broken window panes need immediate replacement. Repair kits can easily be found in most hardware outlets. After inspecting the windows and repairing any damages, they should be thoroughly cleaned because a lot of dust accumulates on them. There are different window cleaners that come in handy when carrying window cleaning.
Are you a resident of Alexandria, VA who is anxious about home maintenance for warm weather? Worry no more. Contact Cyprus Air Heating and Cooling through 703-765-9400 for immediate assistance.
