March tip of the month

March

March ushers in the first day of spring and signals an end to cold weather. Buds are coming out on the trees and the grass is turning green. The bright colors of daffodils, crocus, iris and other spring flowers liven up the landscape with a promise of warmer weather, picnics, and watching the kids play soccer or baseball.

March flower garden

For most of us spring cleaning is a yearly ritual and spring home maintenance should be also

The winter months can be hard on on your home. Prevent minor problems from turning into major expenses by staying on top of your home’s maintenance and repair needs. Take a look around your home to see if you have any damage. Caulking windows and doors, touch up painting, pointing up mortar joints in brick steps and repairing cracked walkways are just a few quick and easy ways to keep your home in good repair. Read below for some other tips to keep your home safe and maintain it’s value.

If the fall leaves are still in your gutters they are overdue for a good cleaning. Leaves prevent water from properly flowing through your gutters and down spouts, leading to excess weight on the gutter hangers along with freezing and overflow problems. If cleaning your gutters is getting too tedious consider installing a good leaf deflection system. Read this post about gutter guards to find out what kinds work well and what to avoid.

Daylight savings time starts on Sunday March, 10th. Many people use this day as a reminder to replace the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Also check your fire extinguishers to ensure they are in good working order. We offer a free home safety check list to help establish a comprehensive safety and emergency plan for the whole family. Fill out the form at the bottom of this section to receive your easy print copy.

Check for loose or damaged rails on steps, porches and decks. Inadequate handrails can be a safety hazard and may impact your homeowner insurance coverage. Consider installing vinyl or aluminum handrails for a maintenance free and lasting solution to loose or damaged rails

Check for missing or loose mortar between the bricks of your steps. The freeze thaw cycles of winter can loosen mortar and make bricks along the edge of your steps venerable to breaking loose. Picking out loose mortar and pointing up the cracks with fresh mortar will secure the bricks eliminating the need for more extensive repairs in the future.

Check for cracks and spalling in concrete walkways and driveways. Just as with brick steps the freeze thaw cycles can create ever worsening problems unless repairs are made. There are a variety of options for dealing with cracks and spalling ranging from crack fillers to removal of the damage areas and replacing with new concrete.