March Into Spring Maintenance

As we welcome spring with our annual spring cleanups, take a few additional steps to save money on energy bills this summer, improve your home's appearance, and ward off big-ticket repairs later with spring maintenance.

Check your AC - For about $75 to $200, a technician will tune up your cooling system to manufacturer-rated efficiency -- and you won’t sweat the first hot weekend with an out-of-commission air conditioner.

 

Replace your thermostat - Energy Star says that for an initial investment of $50 to $150 for a programmable thermostat, you can save about $180 annually on cooling and heating bills -- if you can live with higher indoor temperatures in summer (and cooler temperatures in winter). Set the "hold" or "vacation" feature for a constant, efficient temperature when you’re away for the weekend or on vacation.

Re-caulk as necessary - If the gap around a door or window is wider than a nickel, you need to reapply exterior caulk. Check window-glazing putty, too, which seals glass into the window frame.

Clean the gutters - Nature’s debris-- decomposed leaves, twigs, and spring petals and seeds (think maple tree "helicopters") -- may be worse in spring than in fall. Keeping these clean helps prevent everything from rotted fascia board to foundation leaks.

Repair the roof - An easy way to inspect the roof to find damaged, loose or missing shingles without risking life and limb is to use a pair of binoculars. Check and repair breaks in the flashing seals around vent stacks and chimneys, too.
  

Pressure wash the exterior – Clean your home's exterior to remove accumulated dirt, mold, and stains from the siding, deck, sidewalks, driveway and garage floor, fences, and lawn furniture. You can rent a pressure washer for $40 to $75 a day from local home improvement stores.
 

Wash the windows - It's only when the windows are clean and the spring sun shines in that you'll realize how dirty they were. If you try washing with a scrubber and squeegee like the professionals – you’ll never go back to window cleaner and newspaper.

Before washing the glass, clean out the sills and window tracks with a soft brush or vacuum attachment. Pour a small amount of water into the sill to ensure that weep holes, which drain rainwater to the exterior, aren't clogged. If the water doesn't exit, use a piece of thin wire to gently clear the hole.

 Repair driveway, sidewalks, and patios - Fix any breakdown in concrete or asphalt before it worsens. You can patch or fill surface cracks, chips or flaking in concrete yourself using cement-repair products, such as those made by Quikrete. For deeper cracks, settling or sunken concrete, or frost heaves, when moisture beneath the concrete has frozen and elevated the slab, call a professional.

Check the deck - Resealing is always a good idea to protect the wood. But more important, before you invite the neighbors for the first party of the year, make sure your deck can handle the load. Deck components inevitably age, and heavy snow can cause stress damage. At a minimum, test several areas of the deck for decay, especially those that tend to stay damp. Two signs: The wood is soft and spongy, and it doesn’t splinter if you poke it with an ice pick or screwdriver.

Prepare to mow - A dull lawn mower blade doesn't slice, but instead tears grass, leaving it vulnerable to disease, sun damage and insects. A blade typically needs sharpening once or twice a year, or more often depending on how big your yard is, how frequently you mow and the type of grass you have.

You should also tune up your lawn mower to increase its efficiency and reduce polluting emissions. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to change or clean the spark plugs, oil, and oil filter.