Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
Take advantage of the spring warm-up to go through our spring home maintenance checklist of important services or repairs that every homeowner should take care of to help get your home ready for the new season.
Check Your Sump Pump
The rains of spring can often mean a wet basement for those whose sump pumps aren’t up to snuff. Your sump pump helps collect excess water from rainfall and pushes it towards the nearest sewer or retention pond instead of pooling in your basement.
It’s likely your sump pump hasn’t seen a lot of action in the past few months, so make sure to give it a check now to make sure it is working before you find yourself up to your knees in water. Take a bucket of water and pour it down your sump pit. Once it fills to a certain point, if your sump pump is working properly it should kick on and start draining. If not, time to call your plumber.
Clean & Fix Your Gutters
Speaking of spring rain, you also should take the time now to make sure your gutters aren’t just clean and clear, but also in working order. As rain rolls off your roof, it goes straight to your gutter, down your downspout, and away from your home. If your gutters are heavily clogged or your gutters are damaged, leaking, or not properly attached, water can spill out and pool around your home.
Not only can this be damaging to your landscape if your drainage isn’t great, but as water seeps into the ground it can also contribute to basement flooding. So be sure you take the time to get out the ladder and clean out all the sticks and leaves that have made their way into your gutters. If your gutters are damaged or leaking, get a professional out to repair them as soon as possible.
Inspect Your Roof
The winter has probably left your roof in a bit of rough shape. Hail storms are one of the biggest causes of roofing damage during the winter and can knock off, dent, or crack shingles and will leave your roof more vulnerable to water damage or shingles or roof being damaged further by falling branches or heavy winds later on in the year.
Of course, it is hard to tell the exact condition of your roof from the ground and getting up on the roof yourself can be somewhat treacherous. Early spring is the perfect time to call a contractor to come out and inspect your roof. A professional and experienced roofing contractor like Lathrop can identify even the most subtle roofing damage and tell you exactly what needs to be done to make sure your roof is as secure as can be.
Service Your Air Conditioning
Your furnace has been getting plenty of use over the past few months, but pretty soon the temperatures are going to start rising and you’ll want to be cranking up the air conditioning to help keep you cool. Take the time now to make sure your air conditioning is in working order and you don’t have a nasty surprise when you turn on your AC for the first time.
There are some things you can even do yourself like changing the filters, cleaning dust, and making sure drain pans are draining correctly. But springtime is also a great time to invest in an annual HVAC inspection. Regular inspections will make sure both your air conditioning and your furnace won’t let you down when you need their services the most.
Care For Woodwork
The seasons can wear on your fence, deck, trellises, and other exterior woodworking around your home. Without proper care, their lifespan can be greatly impacted and leave you with splintered, stained, and beat up woodwork.
Spring is the perfect time to give your home’s woodwork a little bit of love in the form of any necessary repairs, resealing, or repainting them. This both gives your outdoor a little extra visual life as well as helping to better protect them from the elements and give them a longer physical life.
Need some help getting your roof and gutter maintenance completed? Indianapolis homeowners have relied on Lathrop Contracting as roofing, gutter, siding, chimney, and window repair and installation experts for years.
Call (317) 783-6929 or schedule an inspection online today!
