Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

It looks like we’ll have another nice weekend, a great opportunity to get the yard picked up and planter boxes ready, but don’t forget to give your house a checkup.  Print this list out, add and delete specific items to personalize to your home.

Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

• Safety Equipment: Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries in appropriate devices as needed, or at least twice each year.
• Exterior
  • Roof: Check roof and around vents, skylights and chimneys for leaks. Check for loose, damaged or missing roofing. Repair as necessary. Remove any debris.
  • Foundation Vents – Open foundation vents when nighttime temperatures get above freezing.
  • Gutters: Clean gutters and drain pipes and be sure they drain away from the house.  Look for signs of winter damage.
  • Garage Door – Lubricate hardware. Inspect mechanism for free travel.
  • Exterior Siding– Inspect siding for sagging or damaged panels that may need replacing. Inspect wood soffits and fascia for signs of rotting or pests.
  • Paint – The life of exterior paint can be prolonged with annual touch-ups. Repaint any patches that are peeling before the wood deteriorates. Trim shrubs and plants back at least 18 inches from the house, as they can cause moisture damage
  • Exterior Faucets: Check your hoses for holes, leaks and dry rot. Replace if necessary. Inspect the faucets and call a plumber if you have leaks or other winter damage.
  • Sprinkler System: If necessary, call your landscaper to turn your system back on. Inspect and clean any filters, heads and drip system emitters.
  • Lawnmowers and Other Power Equipment: If you have a lawnmower, leaf blower, or other power equipment that has been sitting in the garage or shed all winter, now is a good time to clean it, service it and make sure it is working properly.
• Interior
  • Storm Windows and Screens: Take down storm windows and replace with screens. Check and patch all door and window screens.
  • Windows and Doors: Inspect all windows for tight seals and air leakage; caulk or apply weather stripping if necessary. Inspect all doors for tight seals and air leakage; apply weather stripping or door guards if necessary.
  • Interior Faucets:Check for leaky faucets in kitchen and bathrooms. Replace washers as necessary. Check the water hoses on the clothes washer, refrigerator icemaker and dishwasher for cracks and bubbles.
• Heating and Cooling
  • Ceiling Fans: Clean the blades and reverse the flow.
  • Fireplace: Clean fireplace of ashes. Check chimney for loose or missing mortar. Have chimney professionally cleaned. Make sure damper closes tightly.
  • Ductwork: Spring is a good time to schedule an Air Duct Cleaning so that your HVAC system will work efficiently, improving your home’s Indoor Air Quality
  • Filters: Remember to clean or replace filters once a month, or as needed. Check and clean dryer vent, air conditioner, stove hood and room fans. Keep heating and cooling vents clean and free from furniture and draperies.
  • Air Conditioning: If you have a window unit clean the filters and coils. If you have a central AC (lucky you!) call a professional to have it inspected and serviced.
• When going on vacation or leaving the house vacant, shut off the water and turn the hot water heater to vacation mode.

Enjoy the sunny weather!

Energy efficient from the ground up!

With construction of the Cottage underway we wanted to share the steps taken to ensure energy efficient measures are implimented from the ground up. As this picture shows, even the slab foundation is insulated. An insulated foundation contributes to the home’s thermal envelope. Basically, if there isn’t a barrier between the earth and slab foundation, heat from the inside of your home can escape through the slab. According to the Department of Energy slab insulation can save $50-$60 annually, and that is calculated for homes in climates with mild winters. Although last winter was pretty mild, I would not call Sandpoint’s typical winter “mild”. But, for argument’s sake, let’s use the DOE’s figure – that 2″ piece of rigid foam alone can reduce your heating bill by $5 per month.

Bidding a Project

Last month we went to the NAHB National Green Building Conference in Raleigh, NC and the plane ride gave me the opportunity to catch up on some reading. The Summer 2010 issue of Fine Homebuilding Houses had a great article for homeowners getting ready to bid a project.  The gist of it was: before you meet with a prospective contractor, do your homework and have as much information, details and specifications determined. If you aren’t specific about the details,  three contractors will make their own assumptions and bid out your project three different ways. Everything from insulation to countertops to plumbing fixtures has different price structures. If you show up to  your first meeting with a prospective contractor with catalogs, lists and pictures of your ideas he’ll be able to take those back to his office and build a tight estimate and not just an allowance. You may learn that the specifications you want make the cost to build your home a bit out of your budget. But, if you have accurate numbers you can make educated comprimises.  Make sure the contractors are bidding out the home YOU want, not the home they assume you want.