Weatherizing Your Home: Get ready for spring!

Published by: Francine Maglione (2/26/09)
Spring will be here again before you know it, and you’ll need to get your house ready for warmer temperatures, melting snow and lots of rain! After a season of cold, snow and being closed off from the elements, everything in a house can be affected from the air quality to the windows and roof. Go through your house now and see what needs fixing and maintenance before the warm weather gets here.

Exterior Spring Preparations

One of the first things you can do to prepare for spring rain and melting winter snow is cleaning out the gutters and downspouts. If they are clean then the water can pass through them properly and away from your home. Clogged gutters can cause water to fall off close to your house and into the soil surrounding your foundation. This water can end up flooding your basement. A downspout is only as good as its distance from your house. Getting a downspout extension can flow the draining water away from your foundation.

Making sure to waterproof your basement can also avoid a costly and troublesome mess. If the weather gets warm and snow melts too quickly it may result in flooding, which can end with water seeping through the loose soil around your foundation and straight into your basement.

You should also check over your deck once winter starts to fade. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  writes that winter can cause decks and railings to crack or split and should be replaced in the spring with new wood. You can also apply a wood protecting finish to the wood to prepare it for rain.

Warm weather may bring grass and flowers, but it also brings out insects and rodents. Bugs, mice and other pests can infiltrate your home and take advantage of newly opened windows or cracked, split wood. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds that termites also swarm in the spring, and if you see a series of black flying ants you should contact a licensed pest control company immediately.

Interior Spring Preparations

Nothing says spring like a vigorous cleaning! Spring cleaning has become a tradition of its own allowing people to clean away the layers of dust and dirt left from a winter of being closed off. Throwing open the windows and allowing fresh air into the house will not only feel better but help clear out allergens and dust.

Keeping on the topic of indoor air quality, changing the filters in your air conditioner is a must. Also, have a certified and licensed air conditioning technician inspect your system before you start using it. Finding a problem early means it can be fixed early so you’re not stuck in a heat wave waiting for the technician to have a free moment to swing by.

These are just some of the many steps you can take to get your house ready for spring. Your house will feel healthier and cleaner and can help your entire family break out of the winter doldrums. For help with some of your spring home preparations, give Basement Systems a call or contact them online for a free quote!

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