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• CHECK GUTTERS

Look for gutters that are loose, leaky or filled with debris. Make sure all downspouts drain away from foundation and are also clear of debris.

• CHECK CAULKING

Bitter winter cold can cause windows and doors to slightly separate from the frame. This is easily remedied by some painters caulk.

• EXAMINE OUTSIDE SPIGOTS

When you first turn the water on, place your thumb over the opening. If your thumb alone stops the flow of water, there’s a possibility you have pipe damage.

• LOOK UP

From ground level, do a visual sweep of your roof to see if any shingles were lost or damaged during the winter. This is also a great time to evaluate where there was excess snow and ice, to figure out where you may want to add heat tape for better drainage.

• CLEAN & ROTATE

If you changed the spin direction of your ceiling fans over the winter, now is a good time to clean them off and change the rotation to blow air downward.

• REPLACE BATTERIES

Not necessarily a spring home maintenance item, but replacing the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every time the season changes is a good habit to get into, even if the batteries aren’t dead.

• PREPARE TO AERATE AND FERTILIZE

Aerating and fertilizing with a pre-emergent crabgrass control is essential to achieving an envious lawn come spring and summer. Both things need to be done before temperatures reach the 55-60 degree range.

• CHECK YOUR SCREENS

You won’t reap any financial benefits of keeping your windows open and leaving your A/C off if you’re having to call an exterminator to take care of critters getting through your open windows. Remove your screens and give them a gentle scrub with soapy water and patch small holes as needed and reinstall them.

• CHECK YOUR DRYER VENT

A clogged dryer vent not only produces a fire hazard but causes warm air to blow back into your home.

• PATCH UP YOUR DRIVEWAY

Your driveway takes a lot of heat…and cold, foot traffic, ice melt, snow, etc. This is a great time to seal concrete, per manufacturers recommendations.

• INSPECT YOUR EXTERIOR GRADING

The soil around your home should slope away from foundation walls by at least six inches vertically when measuring out 10 feet.