Home Maintenance Checklist for Spring

Most homeowners know regular maintenance is a must. Anytime is the perfect time for routine maintenance checks on many areas of your home. But how do you decide what needs to be done, and in what priority?

The experts at ServiceMagic.com, a Web site that helps connect homeowners with prescreened contractors in their area, offer the following checklist to help you shape up your home:

• Gutters and downspouts:  Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts. Reattach gutters that have pulled away from the house. Run a hose on the roof and check for proper drainage. If leaks exist, dry the area and use caulking or epoxy to seal the leak.
• Siding: Clean siding with a pressure washer to keep mold from growing. Check all wood surfaces for weathering and paint failure. If wood is showing through, sand the immediate area and apply a primer coat before painting. If paint is peeling, scrape loose paint and sand smooth before painting.
• Exterior caulking: Inspect caulking and replace if deteriorating. Scrape out all the eroding caulk and re-caulk the needed area.
• Window sills, door sills, and thresholds: Fill cracks, caulk edges, repaint or replace if necessary.
•  Window and door screens: Clean screening and check for holes. Holes bigger than a quarter leave plenty of room for bugs to climb in. Patch holes or replace the screen. Save bad screen to patch holes next year. Tighten or repair any loose or damaged frames and repaint. Replace broken, worn, or missing hardware. Wind can ruin screens and frames that are allowed to flap and move, so make sure they are securely fastened. Tighten and lubricate door hinges and closers.
• Drain waste and vent system: Flush out system.
• Hot water heater: Lubricate circulating pump and motor.
• Evaporative air conditioner: Clean unit, check belt tension and adjust if needed. Replace cracked or worn belt.
• Heat pump: Lubricate blower motor.
• Foundation: Check foundation walls, floors, concrete and masonry for cracking, heaving, or deterioration. If a significant number of bricks are losing their mortar, call a professional. If you can slide a nickel into a crack in your concrete floor, slab or foundation, call a professional immediately.
• Roof: Inspect roof surface flashing, eaves and soffits. Check flashings around all surface projections and sidewalls.
• Decks and porches: Check all decks, patios, porches, stairs and railings for loose members and deterioration. Open decks and wood fences need to be treated every four to six years, depending on how much exposure they get to sun and rain. If the stain doesn't look like it should, or water has turned some of the wood a dark gray, hire a professional to treat your deck and fence.
• Landscape: Cut back and trim all vegetation and overgrown bushes that are touching structures. Limbs and leaves can cut into your home's paint, requiring that side of the house to be repainted. A little trimming can save a lot of money and time.
• Sprinklers: Check lawn sprinkler system for leaky valves, exposed lines and improperly working sprinkler heads. If there is an area of your yard that collects too much water or doesn't get enough, run the sprinklers to figure out the problem. If it's not something you can fix yourself, call a professional before your lawn needs the water.

To locate professionals who can help you with your spring maintenance check list, visit www.servicemagic.com.

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