Practice Safe Maintenance Tasks

Every year hospitals see many accidents take place during routine home maintenance work. Whether it be falling from a ladder while cleaning out our gutters, slipping on wet leaves or debris, or catching loose gravel on an asphalt roof- accidents happen.

While Weather Tight specializes in home improvement replacement products- sometimes, items in our homes just need to be prepared for Spring- rather than replaced, and our main priority is to always make sure we can give you the best tips on how to successfully get your home prepped, on your own time, safely. However, we always want to make sure we are honest with you & let you know when it is about that time to call in the experts rather than attempt to finish these tasks on your own!

Spring prepping (like Spring cleaning) your home can call for a laundry list of ‘To-Do’s’. While many of those tasks are things that seem like they can be taken care of single handedly on a warm Saturday- there are many red flags many homeowners are not aware of that can lead to many problems. Most of these problems are 100% avoidable when you know what not to do or what to be watchful of!

1. Cleaning Your Gutters

Cleaning or flushing your gutters is one of the 1st things that come to mind when we are making the transition from winter into spring. While this is a task you can handle on your own, we will cover some basics on what steps to take to make sure this task is handled safely & efficiently. In order to access the gutters on your home, you will need a ladder. Make sure your ladder is steady, safe, & always use a spotter below the ladder, just in case! Using gloves, you may remove the debris by hand & use a hose to wash out the remainder of the smaller stuff that gets left behind in the gutter run. Don’t do this alone. Accidents can happen anywhere & at any time. Always use the buddy system in order to efficiently get this task handled & get it handled SAFELY!

2. Examine Roof Shingles

Wisconsin winters can be some of the most brutal. When we think spring prepping of the home, we want to ensure that there are no spots within the foundation of our roof that may have buckled or cracked due to extreme winter cold or extreme summer heat. If you have an older roof covering, you should start formulating a plan to have one of our experts out to inspect it & get started on a replacement project with Weather Tight.

3. Check the Operation of Windows & Screens

This is a pretty simple one in which we can do throughout the year on our own. The motion of opening & closing a window is enough to let you know that there could be something wrong with the operation of your window. Whether you are a current Weather Tight Customer or are just looking for easy ways to spruce up your home for Spring, this one is as simple as it gets!

4. Test Smoke Alarms & CO Detectors

One of the very important things to help prep our home for spring- is making sure all of our in detectors are in good working condition. Swap out older batteries with new ones to best protect you & your family in an emergency situation. It is important to check older units in our home to make sure they have not exceeded their factory shelf life- most detectors have a date on them that indicates when the product should be replaced. These units can become less efficient over the years & need to be replaced to keep you safe!

5. Replacing Your Filters

Replace all filters in your home, including air, water, & range stove hood vents. It is best to maintain these filters & keep them working at their best by replacing them once every 3-6 months- depending on which type of filter you are using.

6. Dryer Vent Check & Cleaning

A dryer vent can become clogged with debris- which presents as a fire hazard. It is best to routinely clean them out with each use, but when prepping for Spring it is best to give it a thorough cleaning for safety precaution. To clean your vent- disconnect the dryer vent at the back of the unit & use a vent brush specifically designed to clean out the lint. On the exterior of the home, remove the covering of the dryer vent & use the brush again to dislodge or clear any lint from this end of the vent.

Do a quick check to ensure the vent flap cover moves freely once you have completed the above.

We hope this list gives you the extra push to feel great about getting out with leftover winter yuck & in with fresh Spring breezes, & warm sun! Still need help!? For current Weather Tight customers & future ones too- visit this link here for more information about the Spring Preparedness of your home… until then- Happy Spring, Everyone!