3 Spring Projects to Help Your Home Leap Back to Life

No doubt you are excited spring is here, as the world outside reawakens with a new energy and vigor. After huddling up during some of Colorado’s dark days of winter, spring is a great time to examine your home and initiate some much-needed improvement projects.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, that’s okay, because we have given you a list of 3 do-it-yourself tasks that every homeowner should keep in mind when spring arrives. Put on those comfy work clothes, grab your tools and have some fun!

Get Your Air Conditioner Ready

Doubtless, you have breathed a sigh of relief that your furnace has stopped or slow down, but that’s also your cue to get the air conditioning in your home up to speed for the warmer days ahead. Chances are good your air conditioner could use some preparation to prevent any surprises when it comes time to turn it on.

With that in mind, below are a few things you can do to help your air conditioner be ready when you need it:

• Replace thermostat batteries –  The batteries inside your thermostat are essential for making sure your system runs correctly. That’s why you should take a moment to change them out with fresh batteries.
• Clean vent registers –  Over time, a lot of dust, pollen, dander and other sneeze-causing contaminants can clog your vent registers. Take some time to vacuum them off, or remove them and wash them in hot, soapy water, then reinstall them.
• Replace all filters –  Your air conditioner will literally choke if you don’t regularly replace filters, and that’s why you will need to throw out old filters and install new ones. This will allow your unit to run efficiently and protect internal parts from wear-and-tear that could cost you a lot of money in repairs.

Freshen Up the Carpet

Your carpet and rugs could also use a spring freshening after a hard winter. Vacuuming is important and should be performed at least once a week, but a deep cleaning is in order once the cold days of winter are gone. Here are a couple of carpet cleaning tasks to put on your list:

• Shampoo carpets – Take some time to go down to your local grocery or home improvement store and rent a carpet shampooer. You can buy a bottle of the shampoo if you wish, but using plain white vinegar instead is less expensive and will leave your carpets fresh and squeaky clean. By the way, the vinegar odor will disappear completely once the carpets dry.
• Remove spots – The mud and muck of winter can leave your carpets full of stains. If there are any stains remaining after you shampoo them, saturate a clean rag with ammonia and place it over the stained areas on your carpet. Next, set your clothes iron too hot and place it over the rag; this will generate steam that will reach deep into the stain and remove it like magic. Just be sure to ventilate the room, so the fumes don’t become overwhelming.

Prepare the Landscape for New Growth

After performing some of your indoor spring projects, step outside and take a look at your landscape. For example, even if your grass is still slumbering, weeds have already made their debut and will need to be handled before getting out of control.

That’s why now is a good time to address a few landscaping issues including the following:

• Clean out dead plant material – Chances are good that you have a lot of dead plant material in your landscape. Clear out anything that is dead, and neatly trim broken, dying limbs that might remain on your shrubs and trees.
• Shore up your landscape edging – Now is also a great time to fix up your landscape edging. As such, replace broken edging pieces and install new barriers that will help prevent weed encroachment.
• Divide perennials – Another landscaping task that will yield big dividends is to divide clumping perennials. These include grasses, hostas, daylilies, and other plants that create big mounds if left unattended. To divide them, dig up portions of the clumps and simply replant them in a nearby space. This will allow your garden to fill in nicely as the spring and summer wear on.

For questions about home inspections, be sure to contact A Firm Foundation Home & Building Inspection for assistance. We are passionate about protecting your interests and are ready to serve you.