May – Late Spring Maintenance Checklist

first’s and last’s; the last full month of spring, the last day of school, the first of many holidays, the first start to summer vacations, the first gripes on it being to hot, and the list goes on.

For most of us, we managed to survive the dreaded interior “Spring Cleaning,” the kids are now whining about having to mow the grass almost every weekend, the gardens have been planted, and the pollen is finally starting to slack off, and it’s time to fire up the BBQ. Hmmm, maybe that is why it is National Barbeque Month and National Hamburger Month. (Funny 2008 editorial on May being National “Everything” Month)

On the Homeowner’s front, we cannot but help stress the following three: National Electrical Safety Month, National Building Safety Month (used to be National Building Safety Week), and of course one of our major areas of concern down here, National Deck Safety Month. If you have been following along with our Monthly Maintenance checklist, most of these items that they bring up have already been covered, but we would still recommend that you do a quick walk through based on their suggestions. Now onto the May’s Homeowner Maintenance Checklist and the Exterior Spring Cleaning…

Maintenance Checklist

• Change out your HVAC filter.
• Test your Smoke Detector
• Your Decks, Porches & Docks – if you haven’t been following our regular maintenance program, be sure to check out our article on National Deck Safety Month
• Outdoor play equipment, pools, furniture, and grills – make sure they are clean, bolts tight, etc… before they are used for the first time
• Laundry Vents – time to open them up and clean the lint out.
• Gutters & Roofing (I know we did it back in March– but with the Severe Weather we had last week…)
  • Clean your gutters and make sure your downspouts are clear & water flows freely
  • Clean any debris off your roof, especially in the valleys, around your ridge vents and any other vents. While you are up there check your roof for any missing or damaged shingles, cracked or missing chunks of tar, rubber or silicone and make any small roof repairs required now.
• Exterior Painting – this is one of the best months to get this done in as the nights do not get to cool and the sun isn’t scorching in most parts of the country
• If you have not removed your Storm Windows yet, you should take them down, get them cleaned, and store them away safely.
• Your regular windows need to be cleaned, and you should verify that they operate and seal correctly.
• Your screens should be cleaned, and checked for holes that should be fixed as required. You might consider replacing the screens on your windows with Solar Screens, unless your windows are appropriately shaded or have a Low-E coating on them.
• For those of you with fireplaces, make sure you get them checked out by a Certified Chimney Sweep. It is also time to start stocking up on wood so that is dried out and seasoned for wintertime.
• Make sure you pull out any debris’s under your deck, porches, and around your AC compressor.
• It is time to get your house inspected and treated for pests, while termites and most other pests are active all year round; they are particularly active during this time of year. Some of their favorite access, feeding, and hiding area’s:
  • Plumbing and Shower pan leaks
  • Cracks in the foundation
  • Soil that is graded above the foundation (should be a minimum of 8” below the siding)
  • Firewood stacked next to the house
  • Wooden fences attached to the house
  • Mulch, and leaves piled close to the house
  • Overgrown shrubbery

As always, please stay safe; if you feel uncomfortable, do not understand how to complete a task, etc… please call in a professional.