Most homeowners believe spring maintenance solely revolves around cleaning. Yes, spring cleaning important, but maintaining structures, appliances, and systems within your home are just as important. Everyone wants to open the windows and air out their home on that first sun-drenched day, but you shouldn't neglect your roof or foundation. As perfect as it would be to go for a walk or picnic on the first spring day, it should also serve as a reminder of outdoor maintenance waiting to be completed.

Use this spring maintenance checklist as your guide to ensure your home or condo is in peak condition for the rest of the year.

Spring Care Tips Checklist for Your Home

Gutters and Downspouts: Remove leaves and debris from all guttering and downspouts. Check for detached guttering and reattach any guttering that has pulled away from the house. Check for proper drainage by running a hose on the roof, if leaks exist, let the area dry and seal the hole using caulking or epoxy.

Siding: Use a pressure washer to clean siding and keep mold from growing. Be sure to check all wooden surfaces for weathering and paint chipping if wood repairs need to be made sand the area immediately and apply a primer coat before painting. If your paint is chipping, use a scraper to remove loose paint and sand thoroughly before painting.

Exterior Caulking: Check any outdoor caulking and replace it if corrupt. Remove by scraping out the deteriorating caulk and recaulk all the affected areas.

Door and Window Sills + Thresholds: Fill and caulk any cracks and edges. Repaint or replace it as needed.

Window and Door Screens: Clean your screens and check for cuts or holes. Repair holes or if necessary, replace the screen. Keep any extra screen to patch new holes as they appear. Repair any loose or damaged frames and repaint them. If nails or screws are missing or broken, replace them. Remember, wind can damage screens and frames if they flap in the wind, so make sure everything is securely fastened. Tighten and lubricate any squeaky door hinges.

Drain Waste and Vent Systems: Flush out systems to remove debris collected throughout the winter.

Check Hot Water Heater: Check the circulating pump and motor, lubricate as needed.

Evaporative Air Conditioner: Clean out your unit. Check the belt tension and make adjustments as needed. If belts are cracked or worn, replace them to prevent future problems.

Heat Pump: Check and lubricate blower motor.

Foundation: Check your foundation for cracks or deterioration—all walls, floors, concrete, and masonry. If a majority of bricks are losing mortar, its time to call in the professionals. If a nickel fits into a floor crack, call a foundation repair professional quickly to prevent additional issues.

The Roof: Check the roof surface for flashing, eaves, and soffits. Once you perform a thorough cleaning, check the flashings around the surface projections and sidewalls.

Deck and Porches: Check your deck and patios for loose members and deterioration; this includes stairs and railings. Wooden decks and fences need staining every 4-6 years. If the stain doesn't look normal or any of the wood has turned a dark gray, call a deck professional to treat your deck and fence.

Landscaping: Spring is perfect for this type of home maintenance. Trim all vegetation and cut back all overgrown greenery from the structure. Tree limbs and leaves can scratch your home's paint, forcing you to repaint sooner than you'd like. Trimming trees can save you a lot of time and money.

Sprinkler System: Check your lawn sprinklers for leaky valves, exposed lines or sprinkler heads that aren't correctly working. If a section of your yard is soggy or doesn't get enough, test your sprinklers to figure out the problem. If you can't fix it, hire a professional before your lawn dies.

Spring Care Tips Checklist
for Your Condo

Deep Clean Carpets: Carpets need love too - shampoo or steam clean all the carpets in your condo. Shake out rugs and cushions outside to help get rid of any dust and dirt buildup.

Change the Batteries: Springtime can serve as a good reminder to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace the batteries if necessary.

Wash the Windows: Let the sun shine in - washing your windows is a great way to get rid of dust and allergens that have collected over the winter. Brighter windows also make you feel better. Remove the window treatments and get them dry cleaned to remove dust buildup as well.

Check the A/C: You may not be thinking about A/C yet, but now is the time to turn your in-unit on and let it run for a bit. It's better to know now if you need repairs than during the heat of summer when HVAC pros are swamped. You may also want to replace your filters if you haven't done so during the winter.