1. Inspect your roof and gutters.
If you own a freehold non-strata townhome, multiplex or a detached home, your roof is your own responsibility. And after months of winter weather, it may have taken a beating. Now that there’s no snow to block your view and hopefully a few dry days in a row, you can either head up to your roof yourself – or if you don’t feel comfortable, hire someone to head up on your behalf – to take a look.
Be alert for peeling, loose or missing shingles, soft spots, mould or anything that seems unusual. Pay special attention to indicators of leaks, including water stains.
While you are up there, ensure your gutters are clean and free-flowing. Clear out any leaves, debris or dirt. Again, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, hiring a professional is always a good idea.
2. Maintain exterior paint.
Likewise for the exterior walls, now is the time to see if your paint survived the winter. Look for peeling, chipping or missing paint. If your home has siding, ensure its sound and not cracked, warped or lifting. Many Vancouver homes have stucco, which should be inspected for signs of moisture ingress.
These tips apply even if you are in a strata condo and have a balcony, because if you notice anything, it’s best to alert your strata board as soon as possible so everyone can take corrective action. Leaky condos are a huge hassle to remediate, so knowing if there are any problems early on is worth it.
3. Get your heat pump or air conditioner inspected.
If you have an AC or a heat pump, now is a good time to get it looked at and serviced, if necessary. This will set you up for the hotter months ahead. All types of homeowners can benefit from this, if the AC unit or heat pump is within your jurisdiction. As a part of this task, clean the unit’s filters as well.
You may want to hire a professional to carry out this task, because there are many user-unserviceable parts inside of an AC or heat pump.
4. Tend to your plants.
Whether you have a balcony with some potted plants or a full garden, now is the time to get started for the growing season. Once the last frost passes, you can plant annuals and set out any cold-sensitive plants you’ve been keeping inside.
As a part of this task, you can also prune plants, make sure your sprinklers are working (if you have them) and clear decks, balconies and walkways of dirt and debris.
5. Check your window screens for rips.
As the weather gets warmer, you’ll likely be opening your windows again. And it’s not fun to find out that there’s a huge tear in your screen that’s letting all sorts of bugs in. So before that happens, inspect your window screens for rips and ensure they are taught against the frame.
If you notice any rips, small patches are an easy DIY task. But larger tears or complete replacement might be more of a laborious endeavor. If you’re in a strata condo, ask whose responsibility it is to maintain or replace window screens.
Spring means the coming of warmer weather, but also some essential home maintenance tasks. Undertaking these now will save you hassle and headaches later, so be sure to get started soon.
