With the spring months coming up, it’s time to get your home and yard ready. 73% of flowers are bought by men on Valentine’s Day, and these flowers may have you thinking of spring. There are some things that you need to do sooner rather than later to avoid any potential water damage and debris build-up. Keep reading for the best ways to prepare your home.
Clean Out The Gutters
After the winter months, it’s important that you take some time to clean out the gutters from the winter debris. It’s likely that leaves have fallen, and wildlife has likely built nests in the gutters. You’ll want to have this removed since there will be rain coming in the spring and you need the gutters to drain properly.
Add Fertilizer To Your Lawn
Now that your grass is starting to grow slowly, you’ll want to give it a full opportunity to be healthy and get ahead of the weeds before they take over. Add fertilizer to your grass so that you can jump-start its growth and improve the overall appearance of your lawn. This will cause it to grow and need to be mowed soon, but it will also help beat out the weeds that will try to come in the spring.
Repair Missing Shingles
Over the winter, it’s likely that your roof has seen some damage from ice and snow. Oftentimes, this doesn’t mean you need an entire roof replacement, but your home may need some roof repair. Asphalt shingles come in two types: organic and fiberglass. Take a look at your roof while you’re working on the shutters and see where you have shingles missing. You’ll want to get them repaired and replaced before the April showers set in and you have water damage seeping through your home.
Mulch Around Your Home
Going back to your yard, add in some mulch, where it’s been beaten down and blown around from last year. This mulch will help with the weeding process and keep your home protected. You’ll want to mulch any flower beds and around the perimeter of your home if you have shrubbery up there. Mulch will also allow the fertilizer that you put down to stay in the ground and keep the nutrients where you want them so other plants can’t absorb them.
Power Wash Your Home
One of the best things you can do for your home is to power wash it after the winter months. It’s possible that there’s dirt and mildew trying to cake up on the siding, and a good power wash will keep your house looking fresh, even as the pollen drops. You may need to do this again after the first round of pollen finishes so that your home doesn’t carry that yellowish tint and allow other dirt and debris to build up over this layer of pollen.
Repaint Your Deck
Give your deck some paint. The cold weather may have chipped and cracked the paint on your deck, requiring a new coat. You’ll want to do this while it’s dry and the weather isn’t too warm. It’s easier to paint in the early part of Spring, but before the showers start so it has time to dry before the rain sets in to the area. You can opt for a new paint color, but make sure it’s exterior wood paint so that it protects your deck from harmful UV rays and excess water build-up in the wood planks.
All these different steps are important to prepare your home. You’ll want to start with them as soon as you can and make sure you go through the list before the weather gets too warm. These steps can keep your home protected and reduce the amount of damage you have to your home from the changing elements. According to Census.gov, 25% of all elementary and secondary schools are private, and they will have a spring break coming up that you’ll want to do fun things with your family, not home improvement chores.