Warmer weather is here, which means many homeowners are looking to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. Taking care of maintenance and repair tasks now will let you soak up the sun without stress in the coming weeks. Use this handy maintenance checklist to get your home ready for spring and summer and make sure you won't need to contact your Long Island insurance agent too see if a claim is covered by your homeowners insurance.
Check the Roof
Winter can be tough on your roof, even if you didn’t get much ice or snow. Spring is the perfect time to climb up on a ladder and check the surface of the roof for damage. Look for damaged shingles, curling shingles, missing shingles, or sagging. All of these are indicators that your roof requires repairs to restore the safety of your home.
Get Your Air Conditioner Ready
Your air conditioner might not be getting much use in early spring, but it’s the best time to ensure everything is ready for hotter weather. Remove any leaves and debris from the area around your outdoor unit. Replace the air filter on your HVAC system, and consider having a duct cleaning performed to remove dust and indoor allergens. Spring is an excellent opportunity to schedule a tune-up from an HVAC technician to identify potential problems.
Clear Out the Gutters
Even if you cleaned your gutters at the end of the fall to remove leaves, there could be additional debris from the winter. As you work through spring maintenance tasks, take an afternoon to remove all organic matter and leaves from your gutters. Once you’re done, take a hose and run some water through the gutters to check for leaks and rinse out any remaining debris.
Seal, Stain, or Paint Decking and Exterior Wood
Wood on the outside of your house encounters moisture regularly. When your decking and exterior wood have not been properly sealed, painted, or stained, moisture can enter the wood planks themselves and start doing damage. This leads to wood rot and structural instability over time. Before you complete the staining or painting process, make any necessary repairs.
Check Your Insurance Coverage
Your home insurance protects you and your property throughout every season of the year, but many homeowners forget to revisit their coverage on an annual basis. Check your coverage amount and be sure to account for any high-value items that you have acquired since your last update, including major home improvements or expensive gifts you received during the holiday season.
Repair or Replace Window Screens
Having the windows open on a beautiful spring or summer day is great until you see more bugs flying around inside your home. Spring is the best time to examine the screens on your windows and doors to make repairs or replace them. You can also use swapping the screens as an opportunity to wash the windows!
Take Time for Safety
Every home is equipped with safety features that protect the family inside. This spring, test and change the batteries in all of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Any fire extinguishers should be unused or recharged and not expired. If you have a fence in your yard and will be letting pets outside as the weather gets nicer, check the perimeter for any holes under the fence that they might slip through, damaged boards, or torn pieces of fencing that must be repaired.
Examine High Humidity Areas
Winter is often dry, but spring can bring plenty of moisture and rain. Inspect the areas of your home that are prone to high humidity and water damage, like the bathroom and basement, for signs of mold or mildew. Mold must be taken care of immediately to avoid further damage to your house and health. Additional repairs may need to be made to avoid the situation from occurring again.