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Spring Home Maintenance

Start your spring exterior maintenance plan by grabbing a pen and paper and taking a walk around the full perimeter of your home. Compile a list of any necessary repairs you discover. Breaking these tasks down later into categories and prioritizing them will make the list more manageable.

Trim Trees & Bushes

You need relatively clear access to your home’s exterior to complete most maintenance tasks. A good place to start is to trim back any trees and bushes from the side of the house and hanging over the roof, gutters, and power lines. Remember to give the same attention to any outbuildings, such as a detached garage or storage shed.

Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

Inspect the roof of your home and outbuildings for any signs of leaks or damage including buckling, curling, or missing shingles. Shingles and metal flashing around chimneys, vents, and in valleys should be firmly adhered. Consult with a roofing specialist if you suspect repairs are necessary. Gutters and downspouts should be flushed and inspected.

How to Clean Rain Gutters and Downspouts

Pressure Wash

Carefully pressure wash the siding, porch, deck, patio, walkways, and driveway, wherever there are stubborn dirt stains, fungus, mold, or mildew. If you plan to use detergents or bleach solutions, be sure to use safe, biodegradable products recommended for the specific surfaces you are cleaning.

Chimney & Fireplace

Inspect the chimney for any mortar or brick damage. Cracked or crumbling mortar should be removed and replaced, known as repointing. Significantly damaged or missing stones should be replaced. Some minor masonry jobs can be done yourself. If you find significant mortar or brick damage it is generally best to consult with a professional.

Once the heating season has passed, have the chimney professionally inspected and cleaned, especially if you use a wood stove or fireplace regularly during winter. Doing this in spring or summer will avoid the fall rush and you may even get a break on the price.

Siding, Doors & Windows

Inspect for gaps where air and moisture can get inside. Remove old caulk and thoroughly clean areas in need of repair. Allow to dry completely and apply a quality, exterior grade caulk.

Foundation, Driveway, Walkway & Patio

Inspect the concrete for cracks or pits. Minor defects can often be repaired on your own but larger jobs may require a professional. Keep in mind it can be difficult to match a patch to existing concrete. Carefully consider repairs in high visibility locations. If you notice significant cracks or damage to the foundation you should have it professionally inspected.

Decks & Porches

Examine decks and porches for any damage or rot. Replace any deck boards in poor condition and secure loose boards or railings. Apply stain or sealer to wood decks to prevent decay. Resurface waterproof decking as recommended by the manufacturer’s warranty.

Lawn Maintenance

Remove all fallen branches, leaves, and other debris from the lawn. De-thatch the lawn with a good raking prior to the first mowing. Mow lawn down to two inches, being careful not to ‘scalp’ the grass with the first mowing. Lightly apply a quality fertilizer that contains an effective weed killer.

Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Ready to get a jump on your spring home maintenance projects? The following checklist will help you get started.

Inspect home’s exterior for winter storm damage and needed repairs

Flush and inspect gutters & downspouts

Power wash siding, porch, deck, patio, walkways, and driveway

Trim trees/bushes near buildings & power lines; remove dead/damaged branches once new growth is apparent

De-thatch lawn with a good raking prior to first mowing; mow lawn down to 2 inches before grass is over 2 ½ inches tall, leaving no less than ½ inch of growth; lightly apply quality fertilizer with weed killer

Clean carpeting

Wash windows inside & out (check for mold around windows and moisture between panes); remove storm windows and install screens

Organize garage or storage areas

Replace furnace filters monthly, or as recommended by manufacturer during heating season

Test smoke alarms & carbon monoxide detectors monthly

Spring Lawn Care

Spring Lawn Maintenance

Spring cleaning for your yard is just as important as it is for your home. If you want your lawn to be healthy all summer there are a few things you want to do this spring to help it along. First of all, remove branches, leaves, litter and other debris from your yard. Next, you’ll want to de-thatch your lawn with a good raking. Generally, a thatch build up of more than a ½ inch is considered excessive.

The next step is to mow, being careful not to ‘scalp’ the grass with the first mowing. Experts advise mowing down to two inches, but never removing more than ½ inch of growth at a time so you want to start early enough in the spring and preferably before the grass is over 2.5 inches tall. The shortened grass will allow fertilizers to reach the soil better and stimulate new growth for the coming months. And don’t concern yourself with collecting all the clippings during this mowing. They will decay quickly and actually help fertilize your lawn, which is the next step.

After you have mowed, applying a good quality fertilizer that contains an effective weed killer will promote new growth and help keep your lawn looking beautiful. Fertilizing should be limited to late spring, early fall and late fall. Fertilize lightly in late spring for a lush, green lawn in summer and then concentrate most of the fertilizer application in fall. Too much fertilizer in spring can lead to disease and more weeds.

Need Some Help ‘Mowing’ The Lawn?

'Mowing' goats

Realistically, we may not send over a herd of hungry goats but we certainly can assist with your mowing, edging, weeding, and pruning needs.

If you want your lawn to be healthy all summer there are a few routine tips we recommend to complete each spring. First of all, de-thatch your lawn with a good raking. Generally, a thatch build up of more than a 1/2 inch is considered excessive.

The next step is to mow the lawn. Experts advise mowing down to two inches, but never removing more than a 1/2 inch of growth at a time. Don’t concern yourself with collecting all the clippings. They will decay quickly and actually help fertilize the lawn, which is the next step.

After mowing, apply a quality fertilizer that contains an effective weed killer to promote new growth and help keep your lawn looking beautiful. Fertilizing should be limited to late spring, early fall, and late fall. You don’t have to rely on harmful pesticides and fertilizers either. Explore natural alternatives to chemicals to keep your lawn healthy and attractive. Fertilize lightly in late spring for a lush, green lawn in summer and then concentrate most of the fertilizer application in fall. Too much fertilizer in spring can lead to disease and more weeds. Following these simple steps will ensure you have a healthy and beautiful lawn all summer.

Do you have some extra space to play with? If you want to reduce your grocery bill and gain more control over the quality of the food you consume, consider turning a portion of your lawn into a vegetable garden. Even if you don’t have a yard, many condominium or apartment dwellers with decks can grow a significant amount of their own food by container gardening. Once you savor your first summer salad from your own fresh greens and vine-ripened tomatoes you will wonder what took you so long to get started!

If you have bigger plans for your outdoor space that require the help of a professional we have landscape and excavation contractors for just about any project you can imagine. Spring clean-up and/or ongoing lawn maintenance, installation of new sod, tree trimming, retaining walls, patios, decks, driveways, and irrigation systems, are just a few of the services we can assist you with.

Spring Home Maintenance Tips

Trim Trees & Bushes

You need relatively clear access to your home’s exterior to Tree overhanging roof complete most maintenance tasks. A good place to start is to trim back any trees and bushes from the side of the house and hanging over the roof, gutters, and power lines. Remember to give the same attention to any outbuildings, such as a detached garage or storage shed.

Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

buckling shingles Inspect the roof of your home and outbuildings for any signs of leaks or damage including buckling, curling, or missing shingles. Shingles and metal flashing around chimneys, vents, and in valleys should be firmly adhered. Consult with a roofing specialist if you suspect repairs are necessary. Gutters and downspouts should be flushed and inspected.

How to Clean Rain Gutters and Downspouts

Power Wash

Power wash the siding, porch, deck, patio, walkways, and driveway, wherever there are stubborn dirt stains, fungus, mold, or mildew. If you plan to use detergents or bleach solutions, be sure to use safe, biodegradable products recommended for the specific surfaces you are cleaning.

Chimney & Fireplace

Siding, Doors & Windows