Don’t wait until spring has already sprung to get your home ready for warmer weather. Now is the perfect time to repair any damage caused by harsh winter weather and to reset your home for the new season. Take these ten steps to get started:

1. Fix any cracks in your foundation. Water can enter small cracks in your home’s foundation over the winter and will expand as it freezes, causing bigger cracks. If left alone, these cracks will continue to grow and can cause extensive and expensive damage to your home. Every spring, inspect your foundation and seal any cracks you find.
2. Clean your gutters and downspouts. Your home’s gutter system directs rainwater away from your roofline and protects your home’s roof, walls, and foundation from damage. Every season, you should make sure to clear any debris from your gutters and downspouts and inspect them for any leaks caused by ice dams in the winter. Not sure where to start with your gutter and downspout maintenance? Follow these simple steps to prevent water damage:

   

   How to clean your gutters and downspouts

    

   Gutters and downspouts can easily fill up with leaves and debris in the spring and fall. Learn how to clean them to prevent clogs and keep water damage at bay.

   1. Gather your ladder, a pair of gloves, a gutter scoop, your hose, and a bucket with a handle.
   2. Clear away debris, starting close to the downspout and working your way towards the closed end of the gutter. Remove large debris like sticks and leaves by hand before using your gutter scoop to remove any muck and stuck-on debris.
   3. Use your hose to wash away any remaining debris. Start spraying water from the closed end of the gutter and work your way down towards the downspout.
   4. Check your downspouts for clogs. Spray water down each downspout to make sure it flows freely. If there’s a clog, remove the bottom of the downspout, insert your hose, and spray water up the downspout at full volume to dislodge the clog.
   5. Check your gutters for leaks. Use your hose to flush more water down each gutter and check the gutter seams for leaks.

   By staying on top of your gutter and downspout maintenance, you can avoid wear and tear and prevent water damage in your home.

3. Inspect your roof. Before winter snow turns into spring showers, inspect your roof for telltale signs of damage — like missing shingles or chimney cracks — which can lead to leaks if left alone. If you notice any signs of damage, call in a professional roofing contractor right away to complete any necessary repairs.
4. Check your vents. Spring is also a great time to inspect the vents on your home’s foundation and in your attic. Look for missing or damaged screens, debris, and any signs of pests. If you spot any issues, now’s your chance to correct them before they become bigger problems later in the season.
5. Change your home’s filters. It’s recommended to replace the air filter in your HVAC system and the filter in your kitchen range hood every season, not just in the spring, to help with the air quality in your home. When changing these filters, it’s also a good time to check in on your home’s water purification system. Depending on the water in your home, you may not need to change it yet, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
6. Test your alarms. While you should test your alarms monthly, let the season changing act as a reminder to test all of the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Replace batteries if needed and, if your detectors are older than five years or aren’t functioning as they’re supposed to, replace the detectors entirely.
7. Reverse your ceiling fans. Ceiling fans allow you to keep your home cool without running your air conditioning system all the time. If you changed the direction and speed of your ceiling fans to prepare for incoming cool weather and to save on energy, now is the time to change them back.
8. Turn your outdoor water supply back on. If you turned off your shut-off valve and disconnected your hose to prevent freezing during the winter, you can reconnect your hose and turn your outdoor water supply back on once temperatures are consistently above freezing to prepare for gardening and lawncare.
9. Get a jumpstart on your lawncare. In early spring, take care of winter damage to your lawn by seeding any bare patches. You can also get ahead of the lawncare game by using this time to tune up your lawn mower after a long winter in storage, to prune dead branches from shrubs and trees, and to rake up any remaining dead leaves, twigs, and pinecones.
10. Call in professionals for inspections. It’s a good idea to call in professional reinforcements for some of your home inspections. Consider having a certified professional inspect your air conditioning unit before turning it on for the season and having another professional clean and inspect your chimney, too.

Don’t wait until spring has already sprung to get your home ready for warmer weather. Take these steps to repair damage caused by harsh winter weather and reset your home for the new season.

Most home insurance policies exclude damage caused by regular wear and tear and maintenance issues, so it’s important to keep your home in tip-top shape year-round. Contact your licensed insurance broker if you have questions about how your own home insurance policy may or may not respond to damage caused by problems outside of your control.

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