February Home Prepping Suggestions

So, the month of February has rolled around and you are ‘itching’ to get into those home projects. February is a tough time for homeowners. Anywhere you live in the Mid Atlantic region the climate is dreary, and the vegetation around your home lifeless. You are probably spending hours looking through home magazines and catalogs to find the perfect appointments for your outdoor setting. Well, you can do better than that. You can start prepping your home for spring so when the weather breaks you can get outdoors and get busy!

• Clean those gutters. Using a sturdy ladder and heavy work gloves climb up and clear the gutters. Then stick the garden hose on one end and flush out the gutters until they run clear. Double check that the downspouts are channeling the water far away from your home’s foundation.
You may consider hiring a service or handyman to do this job if you do not want to climb a ladder. A second option is to invest in seamless gutters or self-cleaning gutters. No matter what you decide, it is advisable to double check the gutters once or twice a year to make sure they are in good working order – and clean!

• Check foundation vents. If your home has a crawl space, then you have vents along the foundation walls. These vents serve a purpose. They prevent mold by allowing excess moisture to exit beneath the home while also keeping animals out. Cleaning the area around them should be a regular part of prepping your home.

• Be proactive in preventing an infestation of bugs. ‘Bug-proof’ your house early. There are now a number of environmentally-friendly but highly effective products to complete this task. Spraying around the foundation of the home will help keep insects outdoors where they belong.

• Do a complete walk-around of the house. Inspect the current state of the exterior looking for areas of mold, cracking paint, and other issues.

You might also clean your patio furniture, clean the grill, prep the yard for new spring plantings and grass growth, and clean the windows. Contact University Painters, Inc. for a complete assessment of your home’s exterior.