Spring Maintenance Checklist

To help protect your most valuable asset-your home, the spring is the recommended time for checking for these potential problems and applying some preventative maintenance before they result in costly repairs later.

Inspect your Deck

Look for water stains where the deck ties to the house. Water runoff may lead to rot, weakening the structure and roof of the house. If you have any doubt about the structural integrity of the deck, call a professional to investigate.

Rid your deck of moss and mold. Pressure washers are effective. Remember, if you see wood damage, like raised fibers, increase the distance between the nozzle and the surface. We recommend an electric pressure washer. They are generally quieter and easier to store and transport than the gas models.

Dirty air conditioner

Disconnect electric power to the outside of your air conditioning condenser and clear of leaves and debris with a vent brush, power blower, garden hose, or the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. If the cooling fins are exposed, be careful not to bend them. (If your garden has lots of trees and plants, wrap around the mesh fiberglass condenser coil to capture pollen and leaves. Replace the mesh as necessary. Do not allow debris to block airflow .) Vacuum the grille and register inside the home to ensure good air circulation. Lastly, now would be a good time to change your furnace filter. We recommend 3M Filtrete Ultra Allergen Reduction furnace filters.

For a more detailed maintenance walkthrough, see How To Tune Up Your HVAC.

Inspect your Foundation

Slight cracks in foundation walls often occurs during curing, and settling of the foundation over time and is not necessarily a cause for alarm. Mark the crack and check back in a few months - or better still get good digital photos of this and other 'to do list' items. If the cracks seem to worsen, call a specialist. If they are unchanged, fill the cracks with an injection system of epoxy resins.

Inspect your Garage Door

If you're like me, your car has never seen the inside of the garage which is used instead as a workshop and storage shed, meaning the door has hardly been used all winter. To check that the door is balanced, the release in the manual mode and lift a hand. The door should lift easily and smoothly and stay open on its own about 3 feet off the ground. If not, by hiring a garage door technician to counterbalance the overload spring. Then set the investment in the opening as small as possible. Place a 2x4 board on the floor under the door, wide side down. The door will backup when it's 2x4. If not, call a garage door professional. Photoelectric eyes tested by holding the 2x4 between them. The door should reverse direction. If not, have it checked by a professional.

Clean your Gutters

Clear the channels of debris and check for signs of corrosion, joint separation, and loose fasteners. Remove the pipes and unclog downspouts leader. Leaders should extend at least 5 feet of water to run away from the foundation. We recommend a Type 1A ladder for safety. Never go beyond the label of the highest step. Never use an aluminum ladder near power lines.

Inspect your Roof

Leaks in the roof typically occur around chimneys, skylights, and other vents or openings. They are easier to detect from inside the attic, where water stains on the rafters are a good indicator. Patching leaks is best left to a professional. Examine the siding under the eaves of the roof, ceilings and rooms below for waterstains or discoloration, indications that ice dams may have created leaks along the edge of the roof. Inspect the roof for cracked, bent, or missing shingles. Asphalt shingles typically last 20 years and are often warrantied.

Inspect your Trees

If you live in an area that has experienced a heavy snowfall your trees may have experienced damage. If the damage is far up the tree, hire a licensed arborist who is experienced in removing branches far from the ground. If you can reach the damaged area, remove the branches with a sharp tree saw using the 3-cut technique, which prevents tearing the bark and creating an open wound in the trunk making it vulnerable to disease:

1. Make the first cut on the branch 1 to 2 feet from the trunk, sawing a quarter of the way through the bottom of the branch.
2. Make the second cut on the branch 3 inches beyond the first, sawing all the way through the branch.
3. Lastly, remove the branch at the trunk, sawing from the top down.

Check for bent branches which may have occurred during a heavy snowfall. Make a mental note, or again take digital pictures as a reminder, and check again later when new growth is emerging.

Inspect your Pavement

Cracks in pavement are an invitation for weeds which can progress the damage. Home centers sell patching and filling materials to the surfaces of asphalt and concrete. If you have a path that was laid dry, as opposed to setting in mortar, brush stone dust or sand into the joints to lock the pavers in place and prevent weeds from invading.

How To Tune Up Your HVAC

Without annual maintenance, your air conditioning doesn't operate at its peak efficiency and is more likely to lead to expensive repairs down the line. Some maintenance checks require a professional, so have one come out every 2 to 3 years to check the coolant level and electrical parts.

Outside

1. Turn off power to the condenser unit. There should be an electrical box attached to the side of the house in the immediate vicinity of the condenser. When you open this box you will find either a block shutoff that can be removed or a switch to turn off the power.

2. Vacuum the exterior of the unit to remove grass clippings, leaves and other debris using a soft bristled attachment. It's a good idea to bed the area with mulch or paving stones to prevent grass and weeds from growing up around the unit. Any bushes should be pruned back to allow for better air flow.

3. Crushed fins (the metal ridges similar to those on a car radiator or a fish's gills, which act much the same way) can be straightened with a dinner knife. Be gentle, you only want to straighten the bent fins and not puncture anything.

4. Unscrew the retaining screws for the grille/fan assembly on the top of the unit. Remove the grille and fan and remove any debris thats accumulated inside the unit. Wipe away any accumulated grime with a damp cloth.

5. From the inside of the unit, use a garden hose to spray the fins using moderate pressure from a nozzle attachment. You want to flush out accumulated grime and whatever the vacuuming missed.

6. Check the fan motor for lubrication ports or refer to your owner's manual. If availabe (newer models have sealed bearings that can't be lubricated) add 3-6 drops of electric motor oil (not all purpose oil or penetrating oil which can damage the bearings). Older models may have a belt driven compressor which may have lubrication ports as well.

7. Reattach the fan motor / grille assembly.

8. Set your inside thermostat to the off position. Restore power to the condenser unit. Wait 24 hours before resetting the inside thermostat.

Inside

1. Turn the power off to the furnace. There should be a nearby power switch.

2. Check the filter and change if necessary.

3. If you can get to the evaporator, vaccum the fins as you did for the condenser unit.

4. Open the blower compartment and vacuum up the accumulated dust and debris. Check the unit for lubrication ports or refer to the owners manual. If it has them apply electric motor oil to each found.

5. Check the plastic condensation drain tube for algae growth. Either clean the tube with a bleach/warm water solution or replace it with a new one. While you have the tube off, clean any debris from the drain port with a pipe cleaner or test tube brush.

6. Reattach the drain tube, and turn the power back on.