It’s here! It’s March! And that means hopefully with fingers crossed the cold winter is actually behind us. We have been extremely lucky this year with the snow totals being almost non existent. We can finally say spring is just a couple of weeks away!
Our days are getting warmer and sun is staying up longer. Which is not a great time to give our home a check from winters storms. Even though the snow totals might not have been high, the temperatures have dropped pretty low. Here is list of a couple of good things to look over before spring has sprung in your home.
- Check your roof Winter storms can do quite a bit of damage to your roof and shingles. Those nor’easter winds can cause more damage to your home then you would ever expect. Check for any missing or damaged shingles. If you found any damage your best option is to call a professional for them to repair it.
- Check your gutters Even though you are thinking that you did a great fall clean up, its still important to go up and check your gutters. Cleaning up debris and leaves before those “spring showers” start is a good idea to make sure drains are properly draining. It is also a good idea to check for any sagging gutters.
- Check your pavement Give your driveway, sidewalk, and walkways a look over. Check to see if any of the pavement or pavers have cracked or shifted in the cold weather. If you see any cracks you can fill with a concrete filler to avoid the cracks from getting bigger.
- Check your outside faucets Now is the time to turn your water back on and make sure water is flowing properly. A good trick to make sure the pipes are flowing properly is placing your thumb over the opening when the water is flowing. If you can stop the water completely chances are there could be a a clog in your pipes somewhere. Best to call a professional and have them come out and look at it.
- Check your doors and windows Check for bent or broken hinges and any cracks or holes. Depending on how serious the damage is, you can either replace or repair your door. If you have a screen door, you can usually buy a repair kit to fix any holes or tears so bugs can’t sneak through. If your windows look good, take the opportunity to wipe down the insides of the window sills if there is any dirt or mold.
- Check your deck and fences Go outside and give your wooden decks and fences (even if they aren’t wooden!) a look over. Make sure everything is still in place and nothing has become rotted over the winter. Remove any rusty nails and check that your railings are still safe.
- Check your sprinklers If you have an outside sprinkler system its a good idea to run it. Turning them on you will able to see if any of them got damaged over the colder months and you can either repair them yourself or call your landscaping company to come and fix it.
- Check your AC Unit Though we are preparing our house for the spring months, sometimes we get a really hot day and you might want to turn on that AC. Walk around your unit remove and leaves, sticks, and debris. Always a good time to change your filters. Call your HVAC company to come and do any service that is needed.