Here are Five Tips for Spring Cleaning Outdoors

Now that the warmer weather is finally upon us, here are five things you should do to ensure your home is in top condition after winter.

• Check on your roof
• Clean your eavestroughs and downspouts
• Inspect your windows and doors
• Scope out your basement
• Refresh your lawn

Check on your roof

Snow, ice and wind can wreak havoc on your roof. If you’re handy (and not afraid of heights), pull out the ladder, put on a safety harness and head up to the roof to see if any shingles are loose, damaged or curling up at the sides. You should also look out for damage to your soffits and fascia (just underneath the roof), crumbling brick on your chimney and signs of water damage on your interior ceilings. Many professional roofers offer spring maintenance packages if you don’t feel comfortable climbing up yourself.

Clean your eavestroughs and downspouts

Many homeowners make a point of cleaning their eavestroughs in the fall, but you should give them another look once spring arrives—twigs, pine needles and other debris can accumulate over the winter months, and if it’s not removed, those April showers can lead to mould, leaks, wet basements and even pest infestations.

Inspect your windows and doors

Cracked or loose weatherstripping can let air and moisture into the house, which can lead to water damage as well as decrease the efficiency of your utilities, such as heat or air conditioning. To patch small tears or rips in your window screens or screen doors, push the strands of metal together and apply a thin layer of clear nail polish or household cement to seal. (You may need to apply a few layers; let each coat dry between applications.) For larger holes, get a screen repair kit from Rona, where CAA Members earn 2% in CAA Dollars® through the eStore.

Scope out your basement

Basement flooding can happen at any time of year, but spring storms (and rapidly melting snow) certainly don’t help. To prevent costly repairs down the road, seal any cracks or leaks in your foundation with some caulking that is compatible with concrete, basement walls and around basement doors and windows. Make sure the ground around the perimeter of your home slopes away from the foundation. If it doesn’t, order a load of soil from your local garden supply store and use that to build up the ground closest to your exterior walls. Add shrubs and plants around your home—they can help absorb excess water.

Refresh your lawn

Once you’ve raked up leaves, branches and dead grass from your lawn, look for any sunken spots, which may be caused by erosion, a tree stump or drainage issues. Your soil delivery will come in handy here, too. Fill the hole so that the dirt is an inch or so higher than the surrounding grass. As it settles, it will level out. And consider aerating your lawn; this means removing plugs of dirt from your lawn so air, water and nutrients can reach the roots of the grass. (You can rent an aerator from Rona.)

While spring cleaning may not be glamorous and you’ll likely get messy, you can enjoy the good weather knowing that your home has been taken care of—until next spring at least.

Yard-to-Roof Coverage

As part of your spring checklist, review your home insurance policy to see if it might need to be updated. Not with CAA? Receive a complimentary quote by visiting CAA Insurance online or by calling 1-833-699-9769.

Image credit: Ziga Plahutar/getty