TEST Spring home maintenance tips: 13 expert tips to get your house in order

TEST Key points

• Spring lawn cleanup and tool maintenance set you up for successful lawn care all season long.

• Check roof shingles and clean gutters to prevent leaks and pest issues.

• A well-maintained HVAC unit is more energy-efficient and can save money on utility bills.

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Table	Table

Spring is the season of rejuvenation — trees bud, flowers bloom and lawn mowers hum. When the chill of winter finally dissipates, it’s a good time to inspect your home and yard for potential repairs. 

Regular maintenance on your home can save time and money down the line. Take advantage of spring weather to tackle any problems. 

If you’re a new homeowner or have been slacking on spring maintenance in the past, you may not know where to start.

We teamed up with two trusted experts for advice on the most important spring home maintenance tips: Chip Gaines, a spirited entrepreneur and home renovation expert, co-founder of Magnolia and host of the hit show Fixer Upper; and Kyshawn Lane, creator of the viral social media series Weekly Home Check. 

Read on about 13 tasks you should check off to keep your home in top shape inside and out. 

What exterior spring maintenance do you need to do?

Winter can be harsh, especially in certain parts of the country. When the cold weather finally eases, check your home for any damage. Winter storms can lead to roof and chimney deterioration and frozen soil can result in foundation cracks. 

Your home’s exterior is designed to withstand the elements, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect maintenance. Your home will last longer and look better if you sustain a routine maintenance schedule.

Warm weather makes fixing these home issues easier than during the cold months — no one wants to scale an icy ladder. 

Check the roof and chimney

Winter weather can strain your roof. Ice dams are ridges of ice that prevent melting snow from draining, causing backup that can rot shingles. Extreme cold can make roof shingles brittle, causing cracks and breakage that can worsen once the weather warms up. Check that your roof made it through the season unscathed. 

You don’t need to climb up — especially if heights don’t agree with you. Use a camera, binoculars or a drone to make an inspection. If you spot damaged shingles, call a roofer to take a closer look.

The flashing around your chimney is susceptible to damage from winter storms. Does it look loose? Is it still properly sealed? Flashing can warp due to temperature changes, which can cause it to rust or bend away from the chimney. A flashing failure, which happens when flashing is no longer flush, can lead to interior water damage — and very high repair bills.

Clear gutters

Dead leaves and other debris can clog gutters during the fall and winter. Once spring showers come around, blocked gutters can overflow, run down the side of your house and cause water damage in the basement. 

When rainwater has nowhere to go it can lead to fascia and soffit damage from the extra moisture. Wood rotting in the eaves could attract pests such as roaches that can take up residence in your gutters. “If the rain gutters aren’t working properly, they can cause pooling on the roof, which can damage shingles,” Lane explained. 

To minimize gutter cleaning, consider installing gutter guards. 

Reseal exterior woodwork

Take the warmer weather as an opportunity to stain or reseal all exterior woodwork. Any structures such as trellises, decks or fences will last much longer if you make this part of your spring home maintenance routine.

Look for signs of termites

Walk around the perimeter of your house and inspect the woodwork. If you see winged insects flying in and out of a hole, you could have a carpenter ant or termite infestation. These wood-eating bugs are active year-round; they swarm from March through July (and also late summer and fall). Winged guests inside the house are never a good sign — call a pest control expert.

Start mosquito prevention

For most of the country, springtime brings significant rain. Any areas of standing water will provide ample breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Walk around your property and tip over any pots. Toss mosquito prevention bits in your rain barrel every 30 days to kill larvae. If there’s a low area in your lawn that pools water, look into yard grading to level it out.

Get the lawn mower ready 

When you prepare for spring maintenance, clear your yard of sticks and dead vegetation. You likely haven’t used a lawn mower in months, so prime it before starting it up. Check gas and proper oil levels, or charge the battery depending on what type you have. 

When preparing to mow your lawn for the first time after winter, Gaines recommended a preliminary sweep for detritus that could damage the blades of your lawn mower. “The first mow of the year is actually just bagging the lawn of the old dead grass, sticks and debris from winter and adding it to the brush pile,” Gaines said.

He also suggested cutting down invasive plants such as mesquite trees or privet shrubs in early spring to save yourself from headaches later in the season. “Every region in the U.S. has their version of mesquite trees,” said Gaines, who is based in Waco, Texas. “Investing in quality tools makes the job of tackling them easier and way more efficient.” 

Gaines recommended Bobcat equipment for his go-to yard maintenance care.

The first mow of the year is actually just bagging the lawn of the old dead grass, sticks and debris from winter and adding it to the brush pile.

Chip Gaines

Inspect lawn care tools

Inspect tools — check pruning shears, clippers, shovels and other hand gardening tools for signs of rust. If you use a lawn aerator, check for loose hardware around the spoon tines. See if the string on your weed eater is tangled. It’s a good idea to stock up on replacement string — it goes fast when you have significant grass and weed growth. 

Fix or replace anything that is not in good working order.

What interior spring maintenance do you need to do?

When putting together a spring maintenance plan, don’t neglect the inside of your house — it’s just as important as keeping up with your roof and gutters. Once you’re out of hibernation mode, the urge to clean is real.

Get HVAC systems serviced

HVAC maintenance is one of the most important parts of homeownership. A functioning HVAC system keeps your home adequately heated and cooled. Check that it’s in proper working condition. 

Lane recommended replacing the air filter every three months and scheduling regular maintenance appointments. “If it’s been over two years, I would suggest having someone come out and give the condenser a deep clean,” Lane said.

You certainly don’t want your HVAC unit to break and risk spending hundreds of dollars on repairs or a full replacement. Look into signing up for a home warranty with an HVAC tune-up add-on option.

If it’s been over two years, I would suggest having someone come out and give the condenser a deep clean.

Kyshawn Lane

Inspect the attic and the basement

Both the attic and basement are highly susceptible to mold. In the spring, you’ll want to check the attic insulation and replace any pieces that collected moisture over the winter. If you find any damp insulation bits, root out the source. There’s likely a crack or leak in the roof or siding that you’ll need to reseal. 

Watch for squirrels, birds and bats as these critters like to nest in your attic. Should you find these animals crashing in your house, call a pest control company that knows how to handle these creatures.

In the basement, keep an eye out for mold near the bottom of the foundation. Consider running a dehumidifier to prevent moisture buildup. 

Seal windows and doors

Air leaks are not only bad in the colder months. Openings in door and window structures are a bother year-round as they can let in pests and make your heating and cooling systems work harder.

“By sealing air leaks, homeowners prevent the cold air escaping and the warm air from entering,” Lane said. “This will improve your home’s overall energy efficiency, reduce your monthly heating and cooling bill and help reduce the amount of work on your HVAC unit.” 

Repair any holes or tears in window screens. You’ll let cool breezes in but keep bugs and other pests out.

Check the plumbing

Though moisture is a real problem for basements, bad plumbing is the root cause of home water damage. You may be able to pinpoint plumbing issues by first observing water stains on ceilings and walls.

A key step in spring home maintenance is checking all the lines of your dishwasher, toilets and washing machine for leaks. Like roof shingles and gutters, plumbing lines can become brittle and crack from cold temperatures. As you check your foundation and other areas for moisture, peek at the plumbing — it’s all related. Even a small leak can attract unwelcome pests such as moisture-loving German cockroaches.

Test alarms

It’s easy to forget about the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, so add a quick inspection of your safety alarms to the spring maintenance checklist. 

Deep clean

If you suffer from allergies, a good way to keep them at bay is to clean windows — you’ll want to tackle them inside and out during pollen season. 

Do some serious housekeeping in the rest of the house, too. This means wiping down the baseboards and vacuuming tricky corners you neglected all winter. Pack away winter blankets and seasonal clothing in storage containers. 

What’s next?

When you start making a list of spring maintenance tasks, it may grow quicker than expected — but don’t be discouraged. A little time and elbow grease will help keep your home and yard in tiptop condition. 

Once you tackle more accessible tasks, be honest with yourself about the chores that might be a little out of your wheelhouse. If your gutters are higher than you want to climb to clean them, don’t fret. There’s no shame in calling a pro. 

Lane recommended assessing your comfort level and the difficulty of the task when deciding between DIY and calling in the pros. 

“If you can watch a YouTube video and understand how to make the fix, give it a go,” Lane advised. “[But] never feel bad about hiring a professional.” He recommended comparing specialist quotes to ensure you get the best possible deal.

Calling in a pro to handle HVAC services or roofing issues is also a good choice if you have a home warranty, which usually won’t cover damage from improper use and repairs.