Spring Maintenance Checklist for Homeowners

Spring is a season of change and transitions. Flowers begin to bloom, and the sun starts to come out a little more, insects begin to buzz and temperatures begin to rise. Take advantage of the moderate temperatures to get a head start on a spring maintenance routine to ready your home for the warm-weather months ahead.

Interior Home Maintenance

• Change air filters. Dirty air filters will make your heating and cooling system work harder. This will also cause issues when it comes to filtering the air.
• Test smoke alarms. Smoke can be a threat to one’s health and a fire could destroy your property. It is important to test smoke detectors to avoid these issues.
• Clean out vents. This will help improve air quality and to keep your systems running efficiently.
• Clean your home. Remove dead food from the fridge, wipe down appliances, dust off fans, air out couch cushions and more! Make sure to hit all areas of your home to ensure cleanliness.

Exterior Home Maintenance

• Clean and repair gutters. Gutters and downspouts should be clean of all debris and leaves to ensure proper drainage. Messy gutters can cause roof damage and flooding in home.
• Inspect roof. It is easier to spot damage on your roof in the spring. Professionals can spot issues with shingles, vents, chimneys, and other parts of the roof to prevent costly repairs.
• Check window exteriors. Check for tears, rips, holes, shutters, broking casings and more. Clean windows and check screens.
• Check for pests. Check the exterior and interior of your home for signs of pests to make sure you don’t have an infestation. Ruined wood, dead insects or clusters of eggs is a good indication of a pest problem. Having your home sprayed for pests can eliminate damage to your home.
• Service air conditioner. Make sure to get the coils and drain pans cleaned and always remember to replace the filters.
• Clean siding. Paint and siding create a barrier for your home’s interior, and if those are cracked or peeling, the wood of your home can become damaged with springtime rain. Make sure to fix any peeling paint, broken siding or exposed wood before those rains hit.
• Check caulk. Solid caulking is necessary to get the full benefit of your insulation.
• Run outside faucets. it’s time to restore the water to that faucet and take a moment to let it run for a bit while you check for signs of cracks in the pipe.

Outdoor Maintenance

• Check outdoor decks. When inspecting decks look for water stains, warping or discoloration. Also, look out for loose or rusty nails and preform maintenance for stairs, railings, and rotting boards.
• Examine driveway.  Take a walk around your property to look for any visible damage, and schedule repairs as needed. Asphalt can often be patched, but damaged concrete may need to be replaced entirely.
• Check sprinklers. Run sprinklers through each zone and look for any signs of broken or damaged sprinkler heads. Make sure heads are not spraying on to the house to avoid moisture issues.
• Fertilize your grass and remove dead plants. This allows new plants to grow in their space, brightening your yard. Also, dead plants can be a fire hazard, and with temperatures heating up, you don’t want flammables so close to your home.
• Trim trees. It is important to trim trees away from home to protect it from damage and pests.

As you prepare your home for the warmer weather ahead, also be sure to protect your electricity supply costs to keep your summer electricity bills low. Enroll in a fixed-rate plan with an energy supply provider, like AEP Energy, to get a secure price and peace of mind that your energy bills will be protected from rising rates.

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