Your Spring Home Checklist, Part 1

The snow is gone. Our white landscape disappeared in a lightning-fast burst of warmth and sun. With the official start of spring just days away (March 21), it’s time to prepare your home for changes that the next season brings.

Snow is yet possible; more likely, rain will soon be spattering our windows. Apologies to “April showers” aside, March is a month where anything is possible in Brookfield, Elm Grove and New Berlin, WI.

Water is no friend to houses. Preparing a home to successfully drain away rainwater – from roofs on high, and foundations below – is a critical focus of Part 1 of our Spring Home Checklist. As any homeowner knows, there’s always something to do, regardless of the season!

• Gutters: Thought your gutters were clear after the final fall cleaning? Take another look. Winter can drop all sorts of unexpected debris into gutters. Clean them out so you don’t create unwanted waterfalls, spilling over into very undesirable spots.
• Downspouts: Take off downspouts (where possible) to check for clogs. You want downspouts to be like periscopes – easy to see through! Reattaching them securely eliminates another worry: that your downspouts might fall off. Be sure that ground at the end of downspouts drains away from the house, too.

• Sump pump: Is it working? This is job #1. Pull up the float arm to see if the motor starts. Try pouring water into the pit until the unit fires up. Afterward, head outside and check the end of the drainage line. Be sure it’s open and the discharge pond has an outlet. If your sump pump needs service, the time to call isn’t when it’s raining cats and dogs.
• Window wells: Clean out the winter leftovers (just like gutters) and securely fasten covers. Open window wells, especially those with lots of leaves and debris, are hard-to-resist nesting spots for animals. Can you say “uninvited guests?”
• Grading around house: Has the ground around your foundation settled so that it no longer drains away water? Identify these areas, pull out the wheelbarrow, and add dirt to raise the pitch.

We’ll cover Part 2 of our Spring Home Checklist next week. Until then, think spring!