Depending on where you live, one day there is snow on the ground and the next day you find yourself running around in shorts and a t-shirt.
In other words, spring is here. While the official day for spring falls between March 19th and 21st each year, spring officially begins on Friday, March 20th this year and ends Saturday, June 20th.
And while you might still find the mornings and evenings brisk, the days are slowly getting warmer and longer which only means – your spring to-do list is slowly building up!
Here is a list of 6 things to do outside this year to complete your annual spring exterior maintenance! Get started before the lines at your local hardware store start to grow.
6 Things To Do For Your Exterior Home This Spring
While many things could be added to this list, here is a great start that will ensure your exterior home is in tip-top shape for the New Year!
1. Check & Clean Your Gutters
The first thing you should do as soon as possible, or at least before the heavy rains come, is to check your gutters!
Grab a ladder and make sure your gutters are free and clear of debris such as leaves or sticks. Be overly observant of downspouts.
Here is why: A clogged gutter or downspout costs roughly $250 to clean, or $1,500 and up to replace. If there is a gutter clog, rainwater cannot drain resulting in the gutters slowly loosening and pulling away from your home. Water can now penetrate the home and foundation – which is a big problem.
If you don’t have the ability to get on the ladder or don’t feel comfortable doing so, check out our gutter cleaning services and we can come by and check for you!
Gutters are meant to last and preventative maintenance helps ensure your gutters not only operate efficiently, but gutter cleaning can help you avoid calling my friends at Gutter Gurus for new gutters!
2. Cleanout Mulch Beds & Landscape
Before weeds start to go crazy, grab a rake and shovel and clean out your mulch beds.
While you’re at it, trim your edges and use a spade to make a nice 3” edge around mulch beds. Top it off with a 1-2” layer of mulch to prevent weed growth and increase your home’s curb appeal!
This is something that doesn’t have to bee seen as extreme manual labor each year. Do it once a year and just “Keep up with it” and you will be surprised at the speed you can do it each year!
Pro Tip: If you have kids, make sure they learn the value of hard work and get to help one Saturday morning :). Also, local high schools usually have bagged mulch sales and they will deliver mulch to your house!
3. Perform Routine Maintenance for Your Mower.
Is your lawnmower ready to go?
Once the rain hits your grass will grow like crazy and you might find yourself mowing your lawn every 5-7 days. In this case, make sure your mower has had routine maintenance done.
Mower maintenance should be on every spring to-do list and should include:
- Check blades and sharpen
- Check lawn mower oil & change
- Check to make your mower is starting and running properly
4. Get Your Home’s Exterior Washed
Your home just spent the last four to five months absorbing winter weather, falling leaves and now it faces pollen.
The spring is a great time to get your home soft washed and professionally cleaned. Chances are, over time your home has had organic debris build up on your siding and roof.
Not only does restoring the “New Look” at curb appeal to your home by getting the exterior washed, you will also lengthen the longevity of your home’s exterior.
In most cases, it is best to leave home washing to professionals so that you don’t damage your home or the areas around it. As a bonus, you will save lots of time too!
Interested in learning more about your home washing services?
Simply tap the button below and inquire about our home washing packages. Get a free gutter cleaning with any home wash (restrictions may apply)
5. Check for Cracks & Leaks
Lastly, make sure you check for crack and leaks by simply conducting a visual check of your home’s exterior.
Walk around with a piece of paper and observe windows and door areas, jot down anything you notice. If something appears out of the norm, determine whether or not caulking or repairing potentially rotted wood is necessary.
Keep your notes each year to track any concern areas. (This will look good when you go to sell showing prospective buyers you maintained your home well!)
6. Takedown your Christmas lights if you haven’t done so yet!!!
This might be a bonus for some people, but here is a friendly reminder:
Please take down your Christmas lights if you have not already done so! While this might be a little silly, sadly it can be true! The eagerness to put up Christmas lights is not always willingly displayed when it comes to taking them back down!
Maybe the excitement wore off after the holidays, but if you have not taken your lights off your home, please do!
In all seriousness, hope this list helps you properly maintain the outside of your home and get it ready for the summer. Hopefully, it didn’t give your spouse a bigger to-do list for you to complete!
Bright Exterior Cleaning Home Washing and Power Washing Services & Service Areas:
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Northern Virginia Power Washing & Pressure Washing: Prince William County, Western Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Bull Run Nokesville, Manassas, Gainesville, Haymarket, Catharpin