Home improvement tasks for every season
The arrival of a new year brings about restored hope and fresh goals. These aspirations vary across physical, mental and emotional standpoints, but there are plenty of New Year’s resolutions for homeowners to embrace in 2019.
Home improvement can be an overwhelming task for homeowners trying to balance professional and personal lives. Fortunately, we’ve done the organizing for you. Here’s a detailed list of tasks you can take care of each season.
Fall
The seasonal cycle is complete. The leaves are falling and a chill is in the air. Your home needs to be prepared for the cold months on the horizon.- Save energy, check weather stripping – Ever feel a mysterious draft in a room? That likely means the weather stripping isn’t doing its job properly. Check all your rooms to ensure the stripping is sealed properly. This quick check will save you plenty of money on your energy bill.
- Inspect your roof – A flaw on your roof could spell disaster for your entire home. Prepare in advance by examining your roof and having any flaws addressed immediately. This could help you avert a disastrous leak when a big rainstorm or snowstorm hits.
- Fix a crack before you break your back – Take a quick stroll around your property and make sure there aren’t any cracks in the pavement. If left untreated, snow and ice will seep into the cracks and could lead to an injury if you aren’t careful.
Winter
Wintry weather can take its toll on the sturdiest homes. The good news is there are plenty of home improvement missions you can accomplish to get your home ready for winter.
- Break out the snow removal tools – It might not be a task people look forward to, but grabbing the shovels and snow blowers out of the shed and putting them in a convenient location will make your life much easier when the big storm hits. Nobody likes trudging through the snow just to get to their snow removal utensils.
- Address your furnace filters – This isn’t a glamorous job, but it’s pivotal to keeping your home warm during those frigid nights. Cleaning your furnace filter can be done by simply rinsing it in the sink or with a hose.
- Repair your window screens – Snow, wind, rain and ice can take its toll on your home. Make sure to take inventory of the status of your window screens when the worst of the weather is over and repair or replace them if necessary. New window screens can range anywhere from $15 to $40.
Spring
The temperatures are rising, the flowers are blooming and it’s time to get your home ready for the summer!
- Clean those gutters – Again, not the most glamorous job, but it needs to be done. Make sure any debris from the winter is removed to prepare your gutters for rainy weather.
- Prepare the air conditioners – Sometimes, spring can be a bit warmer than normal. Make sure you have your air conditioner checked out or installed before June hits and it starts heating up.
- Don’t forget the lawn – Home improvements can extend outside of the physical house! Once the weather turns, fertilize the lawn to get it looking lusciously green.
Summer
The sun’s out, the days are longer and the dog days of summer are upon us. Summer is the perfect opportunity to tune up the exterior of your home before colder weather returns.
- Clean out the garage and prep your deck – Summer gives you a chance to declutter your garage. Go through the nooks and crannies and free up some precious storage space. If you have a patio, make sure to power wash, re-stain and reseal your deck so you can host the best barbecue in town!
- Repair and paint your fences – Nobody likes a fence that’s marred with stains and has broken posts. Take the time to repaint your fence if needed and reposition any busted posts or gates.
- Switch the direction of your ceiling fan blades – This gimmick might not be well known among homeowners. Your ceiling fan features a switch that can change the direction of the blade rotation. Flip the switch to make the blades to turn counterclockwise to create a breeze. You’ll notice the difference instantly!
Year-round
Some home improvement tasks don’t have to be done in a specific season. Here are some generic jobs you can do at any time of the year.
- Check and change smoke detector batteries – Nobody enjoys being woken up by a hollering smoke detector in the middle of the night. Every six months, grab the ladder and change the batteries in your smoke and Co2 detectors. Be sure to log every time you replace the batteries.
- Wash your windows – Dirty windows can be aesthetically unappealing. Twice a year, get your interior and exterior windows washed to give you a clear view of your beautiful property.
- Clean the garbage disposal – A clogged garbage disposal can be a disgusting disaster. Place ice cubes into your disposal and pour vinegar down the drain monthly to clean out this yucky appliance.
- Clean your kitchen appliances – This should be done every couple of months, depending on the appliance.