16 Steps for Springtime Home Maintenance in North Carolina

Trees are sending out leaves and flowers are in bloom. It must be spring in North Carolina. This is the perfect time of year to catch up with home maintenance and get your yard into shape. 

Here’s our spring maintenance checklist with 16 tips to help you find and repair any damage as well as get your home ready for summer.

1. Inspect for Winter Damage

Lots of things can happen over the winter. Take a good long look all around your home for any damage. Things to watch for include loose or missing shingles, damaged siding, gutter or downspout damage, and cracks in the sidewalks or driveway. Take corrective action as soon as possible before small problems become costly repairs.

2. Take Care of Yard Work

Winter storms can leave fallen tree limbs along with those few leaves we missed in the fall that have somehow multiplied over the winter. Clean that all up now to get your lawn in tip-top shape and ready for summer.

3. Seed Lawn Bare Spots

Cleaning up your lawn will often reveal bare or thin spots. This is a great time to plant those spots with seed that matches your current grass. Any slopes in your lawn can be challenging to get the seed to stay in place during even gentle rain. Try lawn seed blankets to keep them in place during germination.

4. Trim Trees and Shrubs

Spring and fall are the best seasons for trimming trees and shrubs. Be sure to remove tree limbs that threaten to fall on your roof. Trimming branches and shrubs to allow for improved airflow and sunshine can also help reduce the risk of mold and mildew growth.

5. Clean Out Gutters and Downspouts

Cleaning out gutters and downspouts is essential to prevent rainwater from pouring onto your foundation. Clear out the leaves and remove any obstructions in the downspouts.

6. Clear Outdoor Drainage

Make sure your rainwater drainage system is clear. That includes buried drains, storm drains, and downspout extensions. Clear any blockages and wash out the pipes with a garden hose. Get them cleared out before the rain starts.

7. Check Outdoor Plumbing

Pool equipment, outdoor faucets, as well as heat pumps or AC units can be damaged from winter freezing. Include them in your overall tour of the outside of your home. Fix minor problems as soon as possible before they become major headaches.

8. Check Screen Doors and Windows

Insects and mosquitoes can find their way into your home no matter what. But even slight tears or holes in window and door screens can exacerbate the challenge of keeping critters outside instead of inside. You can find repair kits at most hardware stores.

9. Review Your Home’s Foundation

Include your home foundation in your inspection. Look for any cracks that may have developed or expanded during the winter freezes. Look as well for any gaps between the soil and the foundation where water can accumulate. It’s time to fix both types of problems before they result in flooding in your basement or crawl space.

10. Test Irrigation Systems

Check that all the sprinkler zones are working. You should also be able to spot any problems with broken sprinkler heads. It’s also a good time to make any needed adjustments to fix areas that need more or less water. 

11. Inspect the Foundation Landscape

Inspect the basement window wells to clear them of any debris, plant growth, and reseal them where necessary. Check that their drains are open as well. Trim shrubs away from the foundation and watch for root growth. Watch for any changes to the overall slope of the landscape. You want to make sure water from gutters and downspouts flows away from the foundation.

12. Watch for Pest Damage

Insects and burrowing animals can do a great deal of damage to your home. Bats, birds, squirrels, and flying insects can damage your roof. Ants, termites, and burrowing animals cause damage at ground level. Seal any cracks or holes you find to prevent their entry.

13. Wash Decks and Siding

Pressure wash decks and siding to remove winter mud, dirt, and grime. To avoid damage, make sure you use the correct pressure setting for the type of wood on your deck as well as for the siding. Some vinyl siding companies suggest using liquid soap to prevent damage to the finish.

14. Seal Fences and Decks

Any outdoor wood structures require periodic staining, sealing, or painting. Spring is a good time to get this taken care of before summer heat, humidity, and storms. Make sure to take care of any repairs before staining and sealing.

15. Schedule HVAC System Service

Don’t risk summer arriving without your air conditioning system working. Spring is the perfect time for an HVAC maintenance routine that can catch and fix small problems before they become costly. Schedule that maintenance now.

16. Prioritize Summer Projects

Over the winter you’ve probably collected several home improvement ideas along with a few repair projects. This is a good time to write all those down and then prioritize them.

If your list of improvements included adding more space, a finished basement could be the answer. But the basement needs to be fully waterproofed before you get started on that type of project. 

Want to keep this checklist handy?

We operate from the North Carolina High Country to Winston-Salem, Raleigh, and the entire state of North Carolina. We can help with your basement or crawl space project or whatever foundation issues you may have found in your spring maintenance inspection. 

Contact us at Tar Heel Basement Systems for a free inspection and repair estimate.

Holly Richards-Purpura

Content Writer

Holly is a Content Writer for Groundworks who has written and edited web content for the foundation services industry for almost 10 years. With a background in journalism, her passion for the written word runs deep. Holly lives in Columbus, OH, with her husband. Along with educating homeowners, she also has a big heart for the Big Apple.