Spring Home Maintenance Checklist for GTA Homeowners

After an Ontario winter, the outside of your home needs attention in a specific order. Do the things that prevent damage first, then the things that make the home look good, then the inside. Here is the list we work through with our own customers every spring.

First: prevent water damage

• Clean the eavestroughs: winter debris blocks them right when the spring rain starts. Flush the downspouts and make sure they drain away from the foundation.
• Walk the roof line from the ground: look for lifted or missing shingles after the winter storms, and for moss on the shaded slopes.
• Check the foundation: new cracks from freeze-thaw, and any spot where the soil has settled toward the house.
• Test the sump pump: pour a bucket of water in and make sure it runs. Spring thaw is when it earns its keep.
• Check hose bibs and outdoor taps: a split pipe from a freeze shows up the first time you turn the water on.

Second: curb appeal

• Wash the siding: a soft wash removes the salt film, mildew and algae from the winter. Never pressure wash siding.
• Pressure wash the hardscape: driveways, walkways, patios and steps, then re-sand interlock joints if the sand has washed out.
• Clean the windows inside and out: you get months of extra daylight from clean glass, and it is the single most noticeable change.
• Clean the deck and fence: soft wash painted and stained wood; pressure wash bare wood at low pressure only.
• Roof wash if you see moss or black streaks: low-pressure soft wash only.

Third: the inside

• Deep clean: behind and under appliances, inside cabinets, baseboards, vents and light fixtures.
• Change the furnace filter: and vacuum the returns.
• Wash the window screens: before they go back in.
• Test smoke and CO detectors: and change the batteries.

Do it in one visit

AmberMount does the exterior list in one booking: eavestroughs, window cleaning, house washing and pressure washing are priced online for most GTA homes, and roof washing is quoted after we take a look. Add a deep clean of the interior and the whole spring list is off your plate in a day.