[seasonal]

There’s more to it than disposing of clutter and airing out rooms. By Kim J. Gifford

ven the mildest of winters will leave the exterior of your home in need of attention. From windows and roofs, to driveways, lawns, and foundations, there is a long list of items on the house and grounds that need to be maintained and repaired come spring. To many this list seems endless and is too daunting to even think about. But if you can mentally prepare for it by viewing the onset of spring as an opportunity you will discover how a thorough spring cleaning will ease your mind throughout the year.

a thorough spring cleaning will ease your mind throughout the year.

The House When it comes to the New England house, “projects never end,” says homeowner Robert Zider of Barre, Vermont. Among the projects he undertakes each spring are washing and hosing down siding and garage doors to dispose of winter dirt, removing storm windows and replacing them with screens, clearing gutter drains, and checking roofs for winter shingle damage.

Windows As Zider points out, spring is the time to remove storm windows and replace them with screens. Rather than putting the storms away dirty, set them down and remove that winter grime while you can get at them easily. Knowing that you’ve already cleaned them when the time comes to put them back up in the fall, you won’t dilly-dally because the hard part will already be behind you.

In preparation for the sunny days ahead, clean the rest of the windows as well. The last thing you want on a beautiful summer day is to look up and see the sun illuminating remnants of winter or dust. Many professional window washers say liquid soap is sufficient for cleaning, but if the windows have not been washed in awhile they may need a stronger wash—one with ammonia, perhaps, which is great on greasy stains. Vacuuming or dusting the sills and panes is also a must.

Roofs and Foundations A quick walk around the house can reveal problems with foundations and roofs. When checking the foundation, look very closely for cracks. The most common form of damage to roofs involves broken or missing shingles. Many roof repairs are relatively minor, but Joe Mount, a groundskeeper and former employee of Twin Farms Resort in Barnard, Vermont, warns that if a roof needs any fixing at all, to call a roofer. Before you get up in a ladder to check the areas of the roof that you can’t see from the yard, survey the attic. Moisture up there is a strong indicator of leaks or damage.

Sidings A good examination of a classic wooden house can reveal the need for paint, pressure washing, or other repair. Look for rotting, chipping, and discoloration. If you have a brick home, you should clean it in the spring and check the brick for water damage. It is best to clean mold, mildew, and moss off the brick with a natural bristle brush, as steel brushes can cause damage. Since cold weather makes all houses expand and contract—no matter what they’re made of—it is good to check caulking between windows and doors to make sure the house is well sealed.

The Grounds Once the snow melts, your property will be covered with dead grass, leaves, fallen twigs, and branches. Tire tracks on the lawn next to the driveway is a common casualty of winter. After clearing the lawn of major debris and filling in dead spots and ruts with soil and re-seeding, you may be satisfied.

But if you want to go the extra mile, consider renting a thatching machine and then re-seeding and fertilizing the entire lawn with a spreader. The thatching machine has the same effect of a good raking: it gets rid of all the dead grass and makes way for the new. Although the ground may still be cold in early spring, there’s no harm in laying it down and Joe Mount recommends you do just that. “Put the seed in and wait for sunny days to warm the ground temperature to the point where it can germinate,” he says.

Fixing Driveways Snow plows can damage driveways, especially the edges. The spring is also a good time to reseal driveways that are blacktopped.

Gardens and Landscaping Don’t forget to tend to the gardens, which will undoubtedly need to be freshened up with a gardening rake, mulch, and new plantings. Mark Bergeron of Bergeron’s Lawn Service and Landscaping in Enfield, New Hampshire, says “as soon as the ground is no longer frozen, it’s time to get out there and dig and aerate the soil.”

Winter weather and snow plows may have wreaked havoc on the shrubs, so prune any broken limbs. Perennial beds will need a raking and should get fresh compost. Sprinklers and water trickle systems in perennial beds should be examined to make sure they are working and no lines are cracked or broken. And all the beds should be edged off. This is also the time to put back garden trellises, lawn furniture, and equipment that was taken in for winter.
Decks and Grill Spring is also the time to repair decks and recoat them if necessary. Decks usually need to be recoated every couple of years. Pressure washers, which typically can be rented from area home centers, are a terrific way to clean a deck before recoating it.

The arrival of warm days means it’s time to break out the grill. This last step is an absolute must. Along with the piece of mind that comes with a thorough spring cleaning, it will help you relax and enjoy the warm days ahead.

1 Before touching the window glass, remove all the dust from the windows and sills to prevent the water from mixing and forming mud on the surface. 2 Using a wash with ammonia or adding two to three tablespoons of vinegar per gallon of water can cut grease on the glass. 3 Washing your windows on a cloudy day prevents them from drying too quickly and leaving streaks. 4 When drying the windows, use horizontal strokes on the inside of the window and vertical on the outside—that way you’ll be able to tell which side the streaks are on. 5 Crumpled newspaper is great for drying windows because it doesn’t leave streaks.