Winter weather can be unforgiving on your home, and since spring is just around the corner, it’s high time to take care of some home improvement projects. The coming season ushers in a different set of house tasks; and when it finally arrives, you will want to be ready to enjoy the bright sun and the fresh, warm air. During that time, you can focus on responsibilities such as landscaping, gardening, and winterizing the sprinkler system.

First, it’s essential to complete your remaining wintertime projects. Below are some important late winter and early spring home improvement tasks that you should be tackling this month and the next.

Vent and duct cleaning

Dust accumulates during the winter months as the family spends more time indoors. Regular cleaning and maintenance of your home’s duct and vents have been shown to not only be energy efficient, but it can also actually prevent health issues.

Consider how the furnace circulates hot air throughout your home to heat the air. Your home’s ductwork is now due for a deep cleaning.

HVAC professionals have special equipment and tools that allow them to disinfect and scrub the ductwork’s walls deep into the system. As a result, your indoor air will be fresher, bringing relief to family members who are allergy sufferers.

If a complete duct cleaning is not on your checklist this year, it’s still important to perform a minor cleaning of your vents. A vacuum hose attachment will do most of the work, then you can follow up with a good wiping.

While you are at it, double-check if your vents are unblocked by objects like drapes or furniture. If you think that your vents aren’t doing their job efficiently because of poor placement, you can improve airflow by purchasing some magnetic air deflectors.

Air conditioner tune-up

Doing this task every year is not an optional extravagance. Getting your air conditioner tuned up is critical maintenance. Replacing filters, maintaining the coil fins, cleaning the condenser coils, as well as topping off coolant levels will save you money in the long run since it will boost your system’s efficiency.

An ideal time to do this would be during the off-season since HVAC technicians can most likely accommodate your request.

Check your home’s carbon dioxide and smoke detectors

These devices are often overlooked, but they could someday save your life. Now is a good time to act if it has been more than 6 months since you last replaced their batteries or tested them. The U.S. Fire Administration suggests that it’s best to test smoke alarms once per month and replace their batteries every 6 months.

Yes, now’s a great time to plan your spring home improvement projects so you can be ready once the flowers begin to bloom. Happy homemaking!

Sources:

“Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?” United States Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/should-you-have-air-ducts-your-home-cleaned

“Maintaining Your Air Conditioner,” U.S. Department of Energy, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/maintaining-your-air-conditioner

“Smoke Alarm Outreach Materials,” U.S. Fire Administration, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/smoke_alarms.html