Spring home maintenance guide

The weather is getting warmer, and you can’t wait to air out the house and get rid of all traces of winter inside. Here’s what you need to rememberé

• If your home is serviced by a well, have your water tested after the snow melts.

• Adjust and lubricate the door and window hardware and put your screens back up if you removed them in the fall.

• Remove, clean and store your winter mats.

• Take advantage of the time change to test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detector and change the batteries.

In the basement

• Make sure the sump pump is working properly.

• Pour water into floor drains to prevent sewer odours.

• If you have a crawl space or cellar, open the air vents as soon as the warm weather returns. Make sure the grills are in good condition so that animals can’t get in.

In the garage

• Do a thorough cleanup in the garage.

• Empty the catch basin.

• Get rid of hazardous materials such as excess oil, paint, solvents, etc. and drop them off at your local recycling centre.

The roof and its components

• Check the condition of the roof:

  • Sloped roof: Inspect the roofing material (asphalt shingles, sheet metal, etc.), seals, and any openings (chimney, plumbing vents, flashings, etc.).

  • Flat roof: Clear the drain and make sure the strainer basket is secured in place.

  • Multi-layer roof: Gravel must fully protect the bitumen layer.

  • Elastomeric membrane: Call a roofer if protective granules have come loose.

• Also make sure that chimneys, skylights, roof mounts, flashings, etc., have made it through the winter undamaged.

• Have the chimney cleaned.

• Take a look at the gutters. Make sure they always drain away from the foundation to avoid water seepage.

Around the house

• Inspect exterior siding (aluminum, vinyl, wood), repair loose or improperly anchored materials, and replace any siding that is cracked, chipped, discoloured or mildewed if necessary.

• For brick or stone cladding, locate:

  • Crumbled or broken bricks/stones

  • Joints that are cracked or whose mortar has disappeared

  • Outward swelling, called a “frost heave”
    Contact a masonry contractor in case of anomalies and schedule repairs to be done before the next winter.

• Check the condition of stairs and porches as well as handrails and guardrails. Repair as needed.

• Test the outdoor power outlets. They should be equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

• Clean window wells and their drain pipes as needed.

• While cleaning the windows, put the screens back on and check the caulking around the windows.

• Inspect the foundation. Look for cracks, whitish deposits (traces of efflorescence), traces of seepage or moisture and have them repaired if necessary.

• Get the air conditioner ready. Clean the coil and filters (change them if necessary).

• Check the level of your heat pump and have it inspected annually if it’s more than 5 years old.

• Remove sand and gravel on or along the edge of your driveway and wash off visible traces of salt with a hose.

In your yard

• Inspect the shed and fences and schedule maintenance or repairs if necessary.

• As soon as the ground thaws, remove protective coverings from trees and shrubs. Ideally, you should do this on a cloudy day to avoid overexposure to the sun. For hardy plants, wait until the temperature is consistently -2°C or -3°C or higher.

• Prune your trees, but wait until mid-May for trees that lose a lot of sap, such as maple, birch, elm, walnut and lime trees. For fruit trees, make the effort to get more information before taking out the pruning shears.

• Turn the water back on for outdoor faucets and reconnect your garden hoses as soon as the risk of frost is past.

• Take out your garden furniture and accessories and clean them as needed, set up children’s play structures, etc.

• Take out your BBQ, check the components and hook up the tank (make sure it’s full!).

• Reactivate your pool water treatment system as soon as the sun gets hotter.

See our spring maintenance checklist for things to do or check both inside and outside your home. Download or print it—and be sure to keep it on hand.

Spring home inspection and maintenance