Homeowners fantasize about making fabulous adjustments to their homes: including bedrooms, beautifying gardens, and transforming kitchens and bathrooms. In reality, however, these dream tasks will not be financially achievable, if you don’t plan for them and possibly create a budget. Don’t wait until the spring rolls around. These plans should be made in advance. Don’t let that stop you from taking excellent care of your home, though. Want to learn how to save some money on essential home maintenance tasks for spring? Here’s what you need to know.
HVAC Maintenance
The filters in your heating and air conditioning system attract allergens and dirt in the air. This helps everyone in the household breathe in quality and cleaner air. You should change the filters often, especially if you are using the heat or air conditioning. Altering filters on a recurring basis can also lower utility payments, as dirty filters put pressure on HVAC techniques to perform more resiliently and consume additional power. You should consider air conditioning repairs if necessary. This could also be the time to replace your old A/C unit and have an air conditioning installation done by a professional. This is also one of the essential home maintenance tasks for spring.
Some people might think it is difficult or challenging to clean an air conditioning unit, but it really isn’t unless you haven’t done it in a long time. This spring, make sure you give your air conditioning unit basic cleaning. Make sure there is no debris anywhere close to the condenser coils. When you keep your A/C unit clean, it will save on energy and be more efficient.
Want to save even more money on HVAC? If you wrap the water heater with an insulated blanket, you will save up to 16% of energy costs. You can also buy a water heater jacket to use. These are sold at stores like Home Depot and other hardware stores. If you have a newer water heater, it may be insulated already. You just have to check the kind of insulation it has. It should have an R-value of no lower than 24.
Garage Repairs
You should consider repairing and/or replacing your garage door screen during the spring months. You can do this with the help of family members or you can hire a professional garage door repair company. It’s not unusual to need to replace your garage door screen once every few years or so. In addition, make sure you’re taking good care of your garage door. A malfunctioning garage door could cause a whole slew of issues down the line.
Plumbing Issues
If you want to keep water out of your basement, then you should keep a close eye on your sump pump. It protects your basement and other similar areas from water damage, which could amount to hundreds of dollars to replace your possession and to clean up. Don’t wait for the pump to go bad. Keep inspecting it on a regular basis and replace it when necessary. Your septic tank pumping is another necessary challenge, which you have to pay attention to. Make sure that you inspect your septic tank and hire a professional plumber if it needs pumping. This is an essential home maintenance task for spring.
A leaky faucet is another plumbing issue to pay attention to. A faucet that leaks for just a minute wastes 34 gallons of water a year, according to the fun drip calculator from the U.S. Geological Survey. So stop that leak as quickly as you possibly can so you can be ahead of the challenge of essential home maintenance tasks for spring. In that same vein, a toilet that is running will waste water, including your water bill, and wastes a valuable useful resource. Fortunately, toilets are easy to repair. Several problems can go wrong with the simple mechanism inside the toilet tank that regulates the circulation of the water. You can usually diagnose the problem by removing the top from the tank, flushing just a few times, and observing. Take a picture of the inside of the tank. Go to the hardware store when looking for replacements. This is important as one of the most essential home maintenance tasks for spring.
While you’re looking at plumbing issues, don’t forget to consider recaulking the bathtub and shower. A tube of putty costs only a few dollars. Changing mold-infested drywall and bathroom tiles can cost hundreds of dollars. To prevent water from reaching partitions and the floor where it could cause mold and decay, keep the joints of fixtures, bathtubs, and showers tightly sealed. Latex sealant is less complicated to use, however silicone sealant lasts longer. Consider using a fungicidal product to discourage mold. Before starting work on your bathroom, which is one of the most essential home maintenance tasks for spring, be sure to use a good amount of putty. It doesn’t take long to learn how to use a caulking gun and apply caulk carefully.
Electrical Maintenance
Problems with electrical wiring could pose a fire hazard. So, go through the home to inspect every room and make sure there is no exposed wiring, which includes cables and switches. It is best to get a professionally licensed electrician to come to your home. With a full inspection, the electrician will fix any switches and replace any switches that may not be working, among other things. Don’t try to do these maintenance tasks on your own because the situation could be dangerous.
Another key component of performing electrical maintenance is changing out old lightbulbs. If you have fluorescent lights, they may be outdated by the time spring comes around. It is also important to have energy-saving bulbs in your home anyway. So, you should do an upgrade. Get rid of the bulbs you have, if you notice that your energy bill is getting high.
Smoke Detector Inspection
Smoke detectors are important in saving lives, but if the battery is not working, then it won’t be worth anything. Batteries are not that expensive to replace. You should check on your smoke detector every month, changing the batteries every six months.
Floor Maintenance
You probably have a schedule when it comes to floor cleaning, but if you have not, then you could create a spring schedule to clean your floor. While you can hire a cleaning company, you can do the job yourself by getting all the cleaning supplies together and making sure that you sweep and mop the floor to maintain healthy and clean flooring. In most cases, the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms are the main areas.
Fence Installation
Installing a fence could be a major challenge, especially if this is not something you are comfortable in executing. If that is the case, then it is best that you hire fence installation services from a professional. If you have put off installing your fence, then spring is the best time to do so.
Garden Preparation
Spring is the time when most people do their garden preparation. A garden is something personal for so many homeowners. While you can hire a landscaper to help, most of the initial work is personal. For that reason, do the basics by getting wood chips for sale and preparing the ground for planting. Make sure you have your seeds. You can go to the local nursery to ask which plants are ready for spring. Gardening is an act of love for plants and it is a way to indulge in a hobby that you adore.
Attic Insulation Checks
You should always check to make sure that your attic is still properly insulated not only for the winter months, but also for the spring. It is a way to save on energy in both cases. The attic is not a well-used area and so it can go forgotten in many cases. It is your responsibility to give the attic a good spring cleaning and to ensure the insulation is up to par.
Clothesline Installation
Some people have enough space to construct a clothesline. Drying your clothes using natural elements such as the sun is a great way to save on energy by not using a dryer. This is an ideal option for the summer and spring months. If you don’t have a backyard, you can put up the clothesline on your balcony, even if you live in an apartment. If you have a home, you could install the clothesline in the basement. So, the construction can take place indoors or outdoors.
Siding Maintenance
Do a spring cleaning of your siding so it can look good for the new season. Get rid of moss, dirt, debris, and leaves. Use soapy water, a bristle brush, and a gallon of water to complete the cleaning. Solicit the help of family members. When you are done, your siding will look like new.
Ceiling Fan Installation
Don’t wait for summer to come, but ceiling fans should be installed in the spring. You are going to need it so you can save on energy during the hot months. Make sure that you get fans, which are energy efficient. Change the settings on your thermostat to reflect the installation and use of ceiling fans. The fans are able to help you to feel much cooler. You can do this project yourself or have a professional do it for you. It may require some electrical work, which means a professional is your best bet in most cases. If you are going to do the installation, be careful and take the necessary precautions.
Large Appliance Maintenance
Like other items in your home, your appliances are just as important and need to always be functioning. When your appliances are maintained, it saves on energy. Some of the major and essential appliances in question are the air conditioning unit, furnace, dryer, and washer. These must be serviced on a regular basis. However, until a professional comes to make the inspection and fixes, it is your responsibility to make sure that they are operational.
Roof Maintenance
As soon as spring begins, you should do an inspection and repair of the roof. When your roof is regularly inspected, you will be able to find leaks or any overlooked damages. You don’t have to be an expert to do a basic inspection to find troubled spots on the roof. For example, if you have asphalt shingles, upon inspection, you will be able to see whether the shingles are curling at the edges. This means they will have to be replaced. While you are inspecting your roof and notice a small hole, then if you are handy, you can fix the problem. Otherwise, you can hire one of the local professional residential roofers for gutter cleaning services, so you can carry out one of the essential home maintenance tasks for spring.
Driveway Repairs
Your driveway, like any other place in and around your home is also important. You can power wash your driveway by renting the equipment and doing it yourself or you can hire an experienced contractor. Power washing helps to remove discoloration and mildew. If you have a deck, you can also power wash, but be careful that you don’t damage it if it is made of wood.
This is probably a lot of details to digest, but many of these essential home maintenance tasks for spring listed above are essential to saving time and money. Some of the recommendations do need the assistance of a professional, but most of them can be done by you. There are others that require regular maintenance while others are once per year. When it comes down to the basics, it is all about paying attention to your surroundings and the things that will affect your existence.
