NOW'S THE TIME TO SPRING INTO ACTION
Give your home a quick look to decide what work you can do and what to leave for a pro
Spring will be here any day now (I'm hoping). While we likely still have a few weeks left of unpredictable winter weather, it's not too early to start planning for your spring projects. There are a few yearly tasks every homeowner needs to do, as well as a few renovation projects that might be on your list this year.
Your biggest job in the springtime is to look out for any damage your home accrued over the winter. You're keeping an eye out for things such as missing shingles on the roof and water intrusion appearing inside the home. If you're vigilant, you can catch these things early and take care of them quickly. If all the major systems outside of your home seem to be in good shape, you can get started on some smaller spring tasks.
SPRING MAINTENANCE
These are a few small jobs any homeowner is capable of managing in the springtime to keep their house safe and secure. While bigger jobs require the use of a pro, most of these you should be able to do on your own.
Just like you should have your furnace inspected before the winter sets in, now is a good opportunity to have your air conditioner inspected. The last thing you want is to have a faulty unit that kicks the bucket in the middle of July.
Go around your home and replace any worn caulking around the windows. Use a silicone caulk. It's flexible, so will expand and contract as the house moves. Check your window screens for damage, and when the weather gets a little nicer, remove your storm windows.
Inside the house, you should also check the caulking in your kitchen and bathrooms around sinks, tubs and showers. If any needs to be replaced, you'll want a silicon acrylic or polymer caulking. Generally, you'll see on the packaging if it's meant to be used in your indoor spaces. Clean the exhaust hood and filter in your kitchen, and vacuum out the fridge coils. This will help both appliances run more efficiently, and in the case of your exhaust help reduce the risk of a fire.
Replace the filters in your HVAC system. This is something you should be doing every few months at minimum, but if you haven't all winter, definitely do it now. This is also a good opportunity to replace the batteries in any detectors in your home, and give them a good dusting as well. Once you've done that, give them their monthly test. Don't forget to inspect your fire extinguishers as well. You should have an extinguisher on every level of the home, and in rooms where a fire is more likely to occur, such as the kitchen.
RENOVATION SEASON
While I try to avoid having renovations done in the winter, unless absolutely necessary, spring makes a great time to start your renovation projects. Starting your planning early is a great idea because contractor schedules will fill up quickly, so the sooner you have them booked, the sooner you'll get your project done.
I never recommend planning renovations around hard calendar dates, such as holidays, because project delays happen all the time. It's better to plan your renovation around your contractor's schedule to ensure they have enough time to do the job right. So if you're doing any springtime renovations, don't plan to have your new kitchen in for Easter because that's a recipe for disaster, and the only guest you might be hosting for dinner that year is your contractor.
If you're not sure where to start with your renovation projects this year, projects that focus on strengthening the exterior of your home — your roof, your foundation, your siding, windows and doors — are good first bets.
When that's all in good shape, focusing on some landscaping projects for spring might be a good idea, but if you're planning to do it yourself, be wary. Subtle changes in your landscaping could result in affecting the grading of your property in such a way that it directs water to the inside of your home. Before you start digging, I would consult with a landscape designer.