Spring is the time when we shake off those winter doldrums and start looking at everything around us with fresh eyes. That makes it the perfect time to give your home a little bit of extra love.
Whether this is your first year in your new home or you’ve been living there for more than 10 years, we think our list of spring maintenance items will help you keep your home in tip-top shape.
Check the Roof and Gutters
Even a new home can see some damage to the roof and gutters from the inclement weather in our Edmonton winters. Sticks and branches blown about in a windstorm could put holes in the roof or knock off some of the protective granules on the shingles. Ice dams can prevent melting snow from draining properly, potentially causing water damage to the roof. You need to give your home a good once-over once the weather is good enough to get outside.
If your home’s fairly new, you probably won’t need a new roof, but it’s smart to look for loose or curling shingles. If your roof is 15 years old or more, it might be wise to hire a professional. If you see the shingles curling or a lot of granules at the end of the drain pipe, you may need to think about replacing or repairing the roof.
As for the gutters, make sure they’re all still attached to the roof. The next time it rains, walk around the home and make sure that water is pouring steadily from each downspout. If one is running slower than the others, there may be a clog.
Look for Entry Points
Spring is when animals start looking for safe places to have their babies, and you probably don’t want them coming into your house to do this. Quickly check the perimeter of your home. Mice might come in through holes or cracks in the siding. Squirrels might enter the attic through the soffits or roof vents, especially if there’s a tree branch that makes it easy for them to get to the roof. Bugs tend to come in through cracks around the windows.
In general, people in new homes don’t have to worry much about these things, but it’s still smart to pay attention.
Clean Up the Yard
Once the snow melts, you’ll see that your yard isn’t looking great. There might be the last of the rotting leaves that you hadn’t cleaned up before the first snowfall, and the yard is likely littered with small sticks that have blown in with the winter wind. Rake these things up.
You’ll also want to start doing some prep work for your spring and summer garden. Add some compost to the soil to prepare it for flowers or vegetable plants. Consider rolling, aerating, or seeding the lawn so that you’ll have the best lawn in the neighbourhood. Keep an eye out for weeds. They love to start growing in the spring, and if you get rid of them before the roots take hold, you’ll have an easier time controlling them throughout the summer.
Power Wash the Exterior
The exterior of a home can get surprisingly dirty. This may be especially true if you live in a community that’s still growing because there’s just a bit of extra dirt around. Power washing is a simple way to freshen up the outside of your home. Power washers can be inexpensive, especially when the home goods stores are having sales, but you can also find a place to rent one or hire a company to do the washing for you. Doing this once a year can make the materials on the outside of the home last longer.
Deep Clean the Interior
Now that you can really open up the windows without freezing, it’s a good time to give the home a deep cleaning. As you go to clean the floors, the carpets, and anything else that might need a good scrub-down, make sure you read up on care for those specific materials. Using the wrong cleaner on certain products can degrade the product and it may even cause you to void the warranty.
There are plenty of spring cleaning checklists online to make sure you properly clean every nook and cranny in the home.
Get the Air Conditioner Ready
It won’t be long before the weather heats up and you need to turn the air conditioning on. Those who live in new homes (and who have brand-new air conditioners) mistakenly think that there’s nothing special they need to do as long as it’s running. However, most air conditioners require annual maintenance. Usually, it’s something as simple as cleaning out a filter or replacing worn-down parts, but it’s necessary for proper functioning throughout the summer. It’s also likely that your warranty requires you to keep up with this annual maintenance.
You want to spend your time enjoying your home, and the better it looks, the more you’ll enjoy it. Take the time to do these small tasks each spring to keep everything under control.
At Sterling Homes, our mission is to provide the opportunity for affordable homeownership without compromise.
Over the last 70 years, Sterling Edmonton has quickly become one of Edmonton’s most popular builders. We bring more than seven decades worth of exceptional customer service, superior design and unparalleled craftsmanship to the greater Edmonton area. As a member of the Qualico Group, Sterling Homes focuses on greater Edmonton’s finest family communities, while being able to offer some of the region’s most family friendly prices thanks to volume purchasing power for materials, trades and land.
This has not only made Sterling one of Edmonton’s bestselling, move-up builders, but also one of the industry’s most respected home providers. It is through our uncompromising commitment to our customers that we proudly deliver the Sterling Advantage – that’s why each and every home we build includes a 10-year home warranty, a completion guarantee and new home warranty excellence rating. Our Advantage is our pledge that, when you build your dream home with Sterling, we will deliver a timely, well-built home you’re sure to enjoy for years to come.
