Homeowner Spring Maintenance Reminders

(Also good information if you’re renting a home, or thinking about selling your home)

• Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors. By replacing the batteries now you won’t have to worry about that annoying beeping that happens when one of them is going out.

• Carbon Monoxide detectors. Every home should have one on each level. Remember that carbon monoxide is a heavy gas so your carbon monoxide detectors should be no higher than your knee.

• Windows. Don’t forget to clean out the weep holes in your vinyl windows. Those weep holes in the base of your windows help wind-driven moisture exit OUT instead of INTO your walls. Look at your caulking around the inside of the windows. Is it cracking? Is it time to re-caulk the inside of your windows?

• Bathrooms. Is it time to caulk there as well? You don’t want water seeping down in there. Give your toilet(s) a ‘wiggle’. One of the most common areas of moisture intrusion that we find in a bathroom during an inspection is a leaking wax seal. If you straddle your toilet and can ‘wiggle’ it with your legs it might be time (or even past time) to replace the wax seal.

• Roof. Put Moss-B-Gone on your roof to prevent moss growth on your roofing surface. Moss-B-Gone or Moss Out can be purchased at Costco (when in stock), Lowes, or Home Depot. It is a white powder that you can sprinkle on your roof. If you don’t want to do that, another option is to install a zinc copper stripping along the ridgeline of your home. DON’T pressure wash your roof and DON’T put Tide on your roof! How is your roof looking? Do you have any loose or missing shingles? Now is a good time to have a roofer come out and fix those and see how healthy your roof is.

• Gutters. Now is a good time to clean out your gutters. We have had some wild weather this winter with the recent windstorms, snow & ice. Due to all the wind blowing needles & leaves into your gutters, and ‘ice dams’, it has put a lot of weight on gutters. Make sure your downspouts are draining away from your crawlspace.

• Vents. Walk around your home and check your vents. How do your screens look? It has been cold so if you have a damaged, or missing screen, you could have critters in your crawlspace. Please do not block that vent without sending someone into your crawlspace to make sure that you won’t be trapping a living critter in there!

• Yard. Is your yard looking a little ‘sparse’ in areas? Now is a great time to throw down some grass seed as the sun/rain mix that is our incoming temperamental spring weather is perfect for grass growth. Turn on your outside faucets to make sure they are flowing right. Remember if you can stop the flow of water with your thumb you might have a damaged pipe.

• HVAC. We know it won’t be long until we’re all complaining about the heat. If you have a central air unit or a heat pump, you should consider having an HVAC person come out to provide annual servicing before it gets warm.

If you are looking for a licensed contractor, a licensed insurance agent, or a licensed contractor for roofing, HVAC, plumbing, or anything else, feel free to email, text, or call me anytime. I always have numbers of people
who can help.