Home maintenance is important and can be daunting to keep up with. Seasonal home maintenance, however, is an easy way to stay on top of things on a yearly basis.
Georgia’s crazy weather and temperature changes can only mean one thing…spring and summer are going to be here before we know it. There’s something to be said for the phrase “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” Home maintenance and prepping your home ahead of time is a worthwhile investment, giving you more time to enjoy the beautiful weather when it finally arrives.
Cleaning
Spring Cleaning…no really, it’s the perfect time to clean! After a winter indoors with heat running and doors and windows closed tight, your home needs some fresh air. Take the time to clean out vents, dust hard to reach places, and perform regular home maintenance. While you’re cleaning, get organized and donate or sell items that haven’t been put to use regularly. Clean appliances and behind furniture items. This is also a good time to have carpets and vents cleaned by professionals.
Air Conditioning Maintenance
Air conditioning is a priority with the anticipated heat of the summer in the south. Change the filters of your system(s). Clogged and dirty filters prevent your air conditioning from performing properly. Filters should be changed every two to four months, but if you haven’t switched them out recently, now is the time to do so. If you’re a pet friendly home, this is particularly important as dog and cat hair can clog up the filters.
Consider having your units serviced by a professional. Regular servicing prevents unexpected repairs and typically covers the unit’s filter changes and cleanings, as well as inspections. Check with your HVAC company about offers for maintenance and servicing.
Windows and Doors
Check windows and doors for cracks, gaps, or broken seals, and any other repairs that are needed. Where screens are in place, take them off and clean using a hose. Clean windows outside and inside with your favorite glass cleaner.
**Helpful Hint- Clean windows on a cloudy and mild day, so cleaners don’t dry quickly in the sun, causing streaks.
Gutters
This is a great time of year to thoroughly clean out gutters and downspouts. Be sure to point downspouts away from the home, so water doesn’t pool around the foundation. Hiring a professional is typically the way to go with a gutter clean out, especially if your home is more than one level.
Driveway and Sidewalk
Inspect your driveway and walkways for new cracks and settled areas from weather changes. You can fix these cracks yourself with liquid crack repair like this one or for more difficult cracks this tutorial offers some advice on pouring and smoothing large amounts of concrete. Of course, if you’re not particularly handy around the house, we suggest consulting a professional for driveway repair.
Lawn Care
This is the perfect time of year to plant new grass seed and new plants. Your neighborhood garden nursery or home maintenance store can give you advice on the proper things to plant and the locations to plant them in, depending on amounts of sun and shade during the day. If you’re planting sod or grass seed, do so after the last freeze if possible. Cool mild weather with ample time for watering will allow seeds to grow and grass to root properly. Grass seed will grow and take hold to soil even better if the soil in the yard has been aerated. While this can seem like a big undertaking, it can be a DIY project and you can have it done in a sunny day. Aerators can be rented from places like Home Depot or Lowes and seed can be purchased at a variety of places that sell plants. Don’t forget to fertilize after planting. Lime fertilizers tend to work well. Follow that by laying down hay or straw to prevent birds from eating seeds or wind from blowing them away.
Yard Waste
As you’re planting new things, take the time to remove any extra yard waste that has accumulated over the winter. No one wants to spend time outside looking at all the extra clean up that still needs to be done. If you’re a DIY-er like my husband and I are, this little contraption is one of the best things we’ve purchased to help fill up yard bags. It seems silly, but they make leaf clean up and getting those pesky yard bags to stand up on their own much easier. It saves a ton of time and frustration.
Garden Tools
If you’re cleaning up the yard, you’re bound to start pulling out those lawn mowers, weed whackers, and blowers. Be sure to tune those items up, and service them as needed. As a rule of thumb, don’t put any tools away wet. Wipe them dry before storing to prevent rusting.
Attic
Before it gets too hot, you’ll want to check your attic for any surprises that could have occured over the winter. Check for unwanted critters that may have snuck their way in during a cold winter. If critters did get in and left again, you’ll want to clean up any droppings and then seal up any openings that allowed them to find their way in in the first place. Check out the levels of insulation and be sure you have an ample amount. Not only does insulation keep your home warm during the winter, but it also keeps the cool air in during the summer.
The seasons sure do seem to quickly come and go. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that we were preparing our homes for winter. If you’re curious about home maintenance in the fall, check out our blog post here. Bookmark both pages to have on hand and stay on top of home maintenance.
