Winter can conceal DIY jobs that need doing

IT’S tempting at this time of year to just come home after a hard day’s work and relax on the sofa. But it’s a lot more relaxing to know you’re keeping one step ahead of general maintenance and what’s going on around you when it comes to your home’s structural and decorative wellbeing. Early spring is an ideal time to make those essential checks around the house - both inside and outside.

Next time you are strolling around the house with a cup of coffee in your hand, have a look at what needs to be done and make a snag list of jobs that need doing. The dark winter months conceal many repair jobs and now is the time to find them. See if any external cracks have appeared on the outside walls of the house and fill them with filler. This is important as one should never underestimate the impact driving rain has on plaster as it easily seeps over time into the cracks of external walls, causing damage.

It also pays to look ‘UP’ at your house and assess any lingering jobs in need of doing. Even though it’s been a relatively rain-free winter in comparison to previous years, spring is often unkind when it comes to downpours which is why the wise home owner will make sure drains, gullies, downpipes, gutters - and any other area that needs to be kept free for drainage purposes - are kept clear at all times.

You should also check to see if any loose roof tiles or slates are opportunistically biding their time waiting for the next storm. Spring can sometimes arrive with a freak week of sunny, dry weather and this is not to be wasted as it’s an ideal time to paint timber fencing, gates and garden furniture which will really appreciate a coat of weather resistant paint.

Keep vulnerable timber items and garden furniture safely in the shed until better weather arrives in later in spring. You’ll be glad you took this advice come May when your neighbour is heading to the hardware store to purchase a new set of table and chairs for the garden having left the old set fall victim to the elements all winter long.

Also give a look at driveway gates, timber or steel, and check to see that bolts, hinges and safety bars are all operational, safe and secure as there’s bound to be many windy days left before late spring gives way to summer. Swinging gates in poor weather can be lethally dangerous to all concerned and accidents can be avoided with a just a little attention.