Spring Home Maintenance Guide
Roughly 5 months ago we climbed into our dens. We knew it would be a long, dark season of frigid cold, blustery wind, blinding snow and treacherous ice. Fellow Minnesotans, REJOICE! We are coming out of the dark abyss that is winter. The temperatures this week have me tasting a slice of sweet, sweet summer. My husband worked a late shift this week which meant we had only 1 (of 4) kids at home with us one morning and we headed out for a walk around Lake Harriet to enjoy the gorgeous day.
It was so much fun and left me longing (begging) for more of these spectacular days. By the way, if you saw this shot on my Instagram, you know I've been living in these Evereve camo leggings all winter. The hourglass shape black sweater is also Evereve but thinking the leggings would be cute to pair with this sweater for Spring. I provided links for both of them.
At the first sight of warmth, I'm eager to get outside and clean up the aftermath of a long season of being blanketed by the white stuff. Today I'm here to share with you the steps we take to get our house whipped back into shape for the summer.
You already read about my process for getting the garage back into shape (if you missed it, you can read it here). Once that's done, next comes a quick inspection of the gutters and roof. My husband always makes a point of clearing out the gutters once the majority of the leaves have fallen, but without a doubt, branches and remaining foliage find a way back in there post-winter. Giving your gutters a quick inspection and removing any residual debris will keep downspouts clear and operable once the April showers move in. Keeping your gutters functioning is also the least expensive way to keep your basement dry in the summer. Be sure downspouts carry water far enough away from your foundation and soil is graded to keep it from running back along the walls of your home.
Once the gutters are clear, we power wash our house. Twice a year in the Fall and Spring we give our house a once over with the power washer. The idea is to spray off dirt, sand or salt that's been clinging to the exterior. It comes in handy for spraying out window and door jambs where surfaces tend to build up with dust and dirt.
If you plan to clean your windows in the spring, this will insure lingering dirt isn't running down your spotless windows at the first signs of moisture.
Speaking of windows, I have mine cleaned once a year in the Spring. Our windows have fixed muntins on both the interior and exterior of the windows making cleaning a tedious and time consuming task. Once we've done a good power washing, I hire the professionals to come be sure jambs are wiped clean, windows are scraped and squeaky clean and screens get a thorough rinsing. You can feel comfortable opening the windows and letting the Spring breeze blow through the house when it isn't carrying the remains of winter filth through the house. If you plan to hire window cleaners, I suggest pricing out several companies. I've had bids 3x's what I pay my usual company. Do your leg work to be sure you are getting the most bang for your buck.
The last thing I do to the body of the house is wipe down the doors and entryways by hand. A bucket of water, a rag and some good old fashioned elbow grease go a long way in shining up the first impression of your home.
The majority of my planting is focused right around my front entry - planters and a few annuals I like to pop in the ground to spruce things up. Cleaning up my iron pots and wiping away the layer of dirt that's accumulated beckons Spring visitors as they enter your home. Here was a shot of our front entry all planted last summer - #ihavethisthingwithgreenandwhite
Once the house is taken care of, we turn our attention to the lawn. Step one is performing a thorough dethatching. Dethatching is the process of rigorously raking your yard to remove the layer of dead grass that has fallen to the base. If left, this layer will thicken creating a barrier between your soil and the sun, nutrients and water needed for growth. Raking removes this layer of dead grass creating an optimal environment for growth.
Once we've dethatched, we call in the professionals for core aeration. A few times we've rented an aerator ourselves but the machine is huge and cumbersome to haul and unless you are splitting the cost with a neighbor that also wants to aerate their lawn, there really isn't much of a cost savings in DIYing it. For under $100, you can have them out to your house to perform the process of removing small cores from your grass allowing the lawn to breathe, alleviate soil compaction and allow for proper water and nutrient absorption. I actually hate when they do this because the lawn looks terrible for a few weeks, but they also say it's the single best thing you can do for your lawn.
Once all those cores have been removed from the lawn, it's the perfect time to overseed. With a rotary spreader, we lay down a layer of grass seed that easily finds its way down into the soil. Overseeding in the Spring can help fill in your thin grass to get a fuller more plentiful looking lawn.
With that, it's time to get watering. If you have a sprinkler system, having a reputable company out to inspect and open it up for the season is a good idea. We typically turn ours on ourselves and test each zone making sure each of the sprinkler heads is working properly and that the lawn is being sufficiently watered. We had a new sprinkler system installed last summer by Green Acres Sprinkler Company. I priced several companies and Green Acres wasn't the least expensive, but I was very impressed by their professionalism and commitment to doing quality work with quality products. I've had the 'get what you pay for' lesson taught to me a number of times through our decade of remodeling. When I see a local company willing to stand behind their work, I almost never say no.
Finally, spend a little time clearing out plant beds and getting them ready for a fresh layer of mulch. If you have any plants you failed to cut back in the Fall, find a partner to gather them at their base while you snip them off. Or do it yourself if your small helpers bail on you.
Go around to plants and free them of any leaves or other debris that have gathered at their base. Check out window wells and collect any leaves, sticks or trash that have found their way in.
Generally, just a good clearing out and cleaning up, erasing any memory of the season that preceded it.
Here are a few other tips to consider adding to your list:
Switch out HVAC filters
Call to have your AC unit serviced
Sharpening of your lawn mower blade - our own Settergren's Ace Hardware performs this service with locations in both the Linden Hills & Armatage neighborhoods.
I find Spring home maintenance is a task I tackle with a skip in my step knowing that warm, sunny, beautiful Minnesota summer days are on the horizon. I'm already inventorying what I'm going to plant in my veggie garden and what my color scheme will be for planting containers and annuals. But first, set aside a weekend and tackle your outdoor to-do list. Get on the calendar for any services you plan to hire out before availability becomes limited. Summer will be here before we know it!