Spring Annual Maintenance
We’ve tried to help prepare you for spring with our refresh list, but we missed a few things. We aren’t talking about the curb appeal of your home or the roof which are obvious areas of concern this time of year we’re talking about inside of your home. There are some items that require annual maintenance and we’re going to touch on the areas we missed in our previous spring cleaning and maintenance blogs.
Air Today, Air Tomorrow
Air quality is important and spring is the perfect time to check all things in your home that contribute to fresher air. We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again #nofilter is cool for Instagram, but not your furnace. Furnace filter obviously needs to be checked but there are more furnaces needing replacement or at the very least cleaning, including whole house water filters, range hood filters, and air vent filters.
It’s so exciting to think the weather could be nice enough that you’d need to use the air conditioner. Spring means we need to check our A/C unit for any damage that winter may have inflicted, this means debris, animal nests, holes, or rips/tears in the lines. Make sure that the appliance is off before you inspect the air conditioner thoroughly. Check the hose insulation as well and replace if needed and you may also want to clean out your ducts. If you need your ducts cleaned, furnace or air conditioner replaced, repaired or just maintained we do that for you as well.
Stoves can be Rangerous
We use our stoves/range in our homes over the winter and now it’s the time to clean these items. Spring is the best time to run the self-cleaning-function clean on the oven because during summer it’s hot out and every other season we are consistently utilizing the oven/range. The top of your stove should be easy to clean if you clean it after every use. This is also a great time to clean the grates, burner caps, heads and the stovetop surface. The grates and caps of the burners pop-out easily just soak them in the sink and wash with regular soap and a nonabrasive sponge. If they are particularly crusty 1-part vinegar, 2-parts baking soda and a few drops of dish soap will make a paste.
Let’s make this home A-door-able
We’ve recommended painting your doors to freshen them up for spring, but when is the last time you gave those hinges some love? From the front door to the bathroom to the garage door, take some time and wash the hinges with soap and then douse them with lubricant. Not only will you remove all the dust and dirt making them smoother but you’ll also reduce if not remove all the squeaks your doors can make.
Door jams can also shift during the transitions between seasons so this is a great time to make sure doors aren’t swinging much or rubbing anywhere. Adjusting your doors can be tricky even for the savviest DIYer. Also, check your closet doors because they often receive a great deal of wear and tear.
Don’t forget that the adjustment on your doors is important in the garage as well. With only a few minutes annually of proper maintenance you can prolong the life of your garage door. We are always happy to help maintain, repair or maintain your doors should you require.
Water, Water Everywhere but Not a Drop to Drink
Spring is the time of rain and the possibility of flooding (knock-on-wood) which is why it is important that you check your sump pump. Check it out, see if your sump pump’s check valve is working and that it isn’t allowing water back in, If there are any obvious cracks or broken pieces you need a professional. If you’re poking your head around your basement, check the floor drains too. Make sure water drains are draining properly if any smell funky you can pour some vinegar into your drain (this works for sinks too) and a tablespoon of mineral oil mixed with a cup of water down each floor drain will ensure that water doesn’t evaporate too quickly because the water stops the sewer gases from coming back into your home. If you have water backing up issues from tree-roots or old sewage lines then we suggest a water-alarm or two for around drains. They can be purchased cheaply from any hardware retailer like Lowe’s Rona, Home Depot and even some dollar stores!
Oh, The Pain of It All
We know you know that spring cleaning always includes window washing, but have you checked the caulking around the sills? Energy efficiency doesn’t stop with the cold weather. Caulking is super easy and doesn’t take long but can save you money in the long run.
You may as well check your window screens once you’re done cleaning and re-caulking. If you see holes in your screens don’t panic only if they are the size of a quarter should there be a concern. If you need to replace your screen save the old one for patches!
The wind can warp frames and ruin screens if they aren’t secured tightly, so make sure windows are fastened. Sometimes the lifespan of our windows have lapsed, it may be time for new windows, which we strongly recommend getting professional installation for.
Our home is where the heart is, is it our refuge from the outside world and our homes deserve care and yearly maintenance.
Building Communities Together. North Canadian Construction.