Spring brings warmer weather and a new set of seasonal maintenance tasks for your home. In addition to rounding up winter dust bunnies, it’s also important to make sure both the interior and the exterior of your home have a smooth transition from the winter to the summer months. Here is a spring home maintenance checklist full of spring home maintenance tips to help you take care of your home as the seasons change:

Interior Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

The most important considerations for the inside of the home are air quality, function, general appearance, and cleanliness. Here are a few places to check and things to do the main the interior of your home in the spring:

1. Inspect and Clean the Fans and Vents

Ceiling fans and room fans can help circulate air throughout a room. But, this also means they tend to collect dust, even when they’re not in use. Take this opportunity to look over all of the fans in your home, inspect the components, make sure everything is working as it should, and clean the fan blades.

Check Exhaust Fans and Vents Too

This also includes checking all the exhaust fans and vents throughout your home, including those on your appliances. Make sure you clean and remove any dust, debris, or buildup, and make note of anything that is in need of repair or replacement.

You may even find it’s time to replace some of your bigger appliances. In this case, upgrading to newer, more energy-efficient options are one of the tips to make your home more energy-efficient and can help save on your energy bills.

2. Examine Doors and Windows

The cold weather can damage seals around your windows and doors, resulting in leaks. Look over all aspects of your doors and windows. Open and close them to make sure they are plumb and moving smoothly.
Check for visible signs of drafty windows like cracked or damaged seals, window panes, and more. Also, take a look at screens to make sure they are in good shape. Then, repair or replace them as needed.

Inspect all aspects of your doors as well. Check the seal at the bottom of the door, check the weather stripping, and test opening and closing. Lubricate entrance door hinges and keep an eye out for doors that are hard to open or close or difficult to slide along their track.

If it’s time for replacement windows or doors, we’re here to help. We install the highest quality replacement windows Lancaster, PA has to offer and our selection of replacement doors is vast and includes entry doors, storm doors, and sliding patio doors. Because they are so important to energy efficiency, checking these areas is also one of the big summer home maintenance tips.

3. Test Smoke Detectors

Checking your smoke detectors is a home maintenance task that should be happening every month and every season. Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order and replace the batteries regularly.

Usually, you want to replace the batteries once a year. However, if your smoke alarm starts “chirping”, that means it’s time to switch to fresh batteries. The U.S. Fire Administration also recommends replacing the entire smoke alarm unit every 10 years.

4. Look Over Plumbing

As you do an overview of the interior of your home, it’s a good idea to also look over and examine the plumbing. Check all toilets, faucets, and drains to make sure they are not clogged, running smoothly, and not leaking.

5. Check Floors and Surfaces

Perform an inspection of your home’s interior floors and surfaces. How are your floors holding up? What about the status of your flooring near entrances? Are you happy with the way your floors look and how they feel?

Also, take a look at the walls and ceiling in all rooms of your home. Check for places that need to be painted and for any signs of water damage, especially in the basement, attic, or any crawl spaces. Visible signs of water damage on your walls or ceiling are signs that you have a leak somewhere and are also potential signs you might have mold behind the walls.

6. Schedule Service for Air Conditioning

You should be having your air conditioning or HVAC system serviced regularly to keep it working its best. Spring is a great time to get a professional out to service the equipment, change filters, etc. before the start of summer. Not only will this ensure your home is ready to handle the summer heat, but it will also help keep your system running as efficiently as possible while also extending its life.

7. Pay Attention to How Your Home Feels

As you move through the interior of your home and check off home maintenance tasks, also pay attention to how your home feels and how you feel as you move around. Are there areas that cause friction, disrupt flow, or frustrate you?

Considering your current home in this way is one of the tips to inspire your next home improvement project. You may find that a room layout doesn’t make sense, a bathroom needs updating, you want a home addition for more space, and more.

Exterior Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Checking for damage and performing general maintenance are your top goals for the exterior of your home. Proper maintenance prevents damage to your home and ensures durability, which is why ignoring it is one of the biggest home maintenance mistakes.

Checking for damage will allow you to catch small problems and fix them before they become costly issues. Here are a few places to check and a few home maintenance activities to get your home ready for spring:

1. Examine Your Home’s Siding and Foundation

Snow, ice, hail, wind, freezing temperatures, fluctuation temperatures, and more can all take a toll on the siding of your home. Hole or cracks can develop, or pieces of your siding can totally blow off the house during a storm.

All of these and more are signs your house needs new siding. If you already have vinyl siding and it’s in good shape after winter, then all it likely needs is a quick cleaning. As you’re checking over siding, also check in on your home’s foundation. Look for any cracks, signs of damage, or sinking.

2. Check Your Gutters

Gutters and downspouts are important in draining and directing water away from your home and preventing water damage. If they are clogged, damaged, positioned incorrectly, etc., it can lead to water damage to your roof, siding, foundation, and more.

You’ll want to clean your gutters coming into spring anyway. So, also look over them carefully for signs of damage and make sure they’re still installed securely. Cracks, other damage, loose gutters, sagging gutters, and more are all signs you need to replace your gutters.

If you’re tired of cleaning out your gutters or they tend to get clogged with debris frequently, consider upgrading to gutter guards. These can protect your gutters, keep them clog-free longer, and cut down on the gutter maintenance you need to do throughout the year.

3. Look Over the Roof

Winter storms can also cause damage to your roof. Part of regular spring home maintenance should be looking over your roof for any damaged or missing shingles. If you have a chimney, you’ll also want to look over that and probably get it inspected and cleaned.

If the rest of your roof is in good shape, you may just need a repair on certain areas. If it’s been a couple of decades or you see other signs your roof needs to be replaced, you may want to consider replacing your roof.

4. Inspect Your Walkways

Your driveway, any sidewalks, steps, and more can all sustain damage over time, especially in the winter. As the weather warms up, inspect all of the walkways around your home. Look for cracks, shifting levels, and other damage. If you see any, it may be time to consider repairing the walkway or driveway, or even replacing it and upgrading to stamped concrete.

5. Pay Attention to Your Patio, Porch, and Deck

Take a look at your patio or deck and your porch. See if there is any damage to the structure itself or supporting structures. Look for anything that is loose or broken. Also, if you have a wood deck, check for signs of rot, water damage, or damage from pests.

If your patio is in need of repair, you can upgrade a patio with stamped concrete or consider a patio enclosure or a sunroom instead. If you enjoy having a deck and are sick of dealing with a wooden one, you can upgrade and replace it with a vinyl deck.

6. Check Fences and Railings

Check over any fences or railings you have to make sure they are still in good shape. If you don’t see any visible damage and there are no loose boards or railings, then you’re likely good for another season. If things are loose or damaged, those are signs it’s time to replace porch railings and you may need to repair or replace your fence.

If you don’t have any railings or a fence, you might even find you want them after walking around your home and backyard. Some big benefits of vinyl railings are customizability, durability, and less required maintenance than other materials. Not only can this increase safety in several areas and increase your home value, but it also means there are a lot of options for getting the style you want.

7. Clean up Your Landscaping

Review the state of your landscaping and clean it up where needed. Trimming trees and shrubs that are near the house can help prevent damage to it or the roof.

Clearing debris from around generators, air conditioner units, window wells, outdoor grills, and more helps prevent damage and improve efficiency. This can also help reduce pests, like mosquitoes, and is one of the ways to keep bugs away from your patio or other outdoor spaces.

This is also a good opportunity to check, tune up, and do some maintenance for any equipment you have. If you have any sprinkler systems or irrigation systems in place, you will also want to check them to make sure nothing is broken, everything is adjusted appropriately, and the systems are still running optimally.

8. Pressure Wash Outdoor Surfaces

As the weather warms up, it’s a good time to pressure wash outdoor surfaces to help clear them off any dirt, debris, etc. that built up over the winter. Just make sure you are using the right pressure for the surface, avoiding power washing the wrong surfaces, and avoiding other common mistakes people make with power washers to make sure you’re not damaging those surfaces instead.

A spring home maintenance checklist like this can help you monitor your home for issues and identify problem areas you need to address. If you need help with any issues you find or are inspired to start a home improvement project, call Zephyr Thomas at 717-399-4708 to start your free quote!