6 “Must-Do” Money-Saving Home Maintenance Projects for Spring

When you think about money-saving home maintenance projects, the focus is often on winter. After all, heating a home is expensive, and homeowners will do whatever they can to reduce the winter bills. But many projects better suited for warmer weather can save you money, too. Here are 6 must-do home maintenance projects to tackle this spring, from your friends at Handyman Connection of Ann Arbor:

1. Clean the refrigerator and air conditioner coils. Your fridge and air conditioner work in nearly the same way – by exchanging heat through a system of coils. When those coils are dirty and dusty, they can’t exchange heat as efficiently, so the system has to run harder and longer to have the same cooling effect. Luckily, cleaning these coils is simple. Just take a vacuum hose to the coils on the back of your fridge. For an outside air conditioner unit, you’ll need to disassemble the casing (making sure the power to the unit is off first), and clean using canned air and/or a stiff brush and spray bottle.
2. Clean gutters. This can be a Saturday-long spring chore for many, but it’s important, especially if you live in an area with April showers. Water doesn’t properly pass through clogged gutters. And that means more water gets near the foundation of your home. This may not cause immediate problems, but over time, too much water near the foundation can cause damage and weakening, which are expensive problems to fix later.
3. Clean the dryer vent. Just like your refrigerator doesn’t work properly with dusty coils, your dryer is less efficient with a lint-filled vent. Even if you clean the lint trap before every load of laundry, you’ll still get some lint in the vent hose, which builds up over time. To clean the vent, just remove the vent hose from the back of the dryer and vacuum it well. Then, remove the vent cover on the outside of your home, and vacuum it from that side, too.
4. Check the washing machine hoses. Over time, washing machine hoses can crack, which can cause leaks. Sometimes, these inconspicuous leaks go on for weeks or months unnoticed, usually because the washer is pushed back into a corner. This can cause mold problems, water damage and more. So while you’ve got the dryer pulled out to clean the vent, pull out the washer, too. Check that the hoses are still flexible, and they show no signs of cracking. If they do look worn or cracked, contact us to replace them!
5. Re-caulk windows and doors. You might have caulked your doors and windows before the winter chill set in. Unfortunately, even the best caulk can harden, crack and shrink when it’s cold outside. So let us check your windows and doors, and replace as needed. Keeping the hot air out during the summer is just as important as keeping it in during the winter.
6. Plant trees in strategic locations. As you think about landscaping this spring, consider planting a new tree or two. Mother Nature will certainly thank you, and your heating and cooling bills might, too. If your house gets hit with a lot of sun during the day – which causes the inside to heat up – plant a fast-growing tree on the west, east or northwest side of your home for cooling shade.

Let the experts at Handyman Connection of Ann Arbor help you with your spring home maintenance tasks, and help you save a little money in the long run! Request your free, no obligation project estimate today!