With the Polar Vortex we experienced this winter pretty much behind us, and with Spring starting to creep in now, we thought it would be a good idea to remind you of some of the best home maintenance steps to best prepare for the changing seasons.
Home maintenance (or lack thereof) is a massive factor in how well a home holds up over time, so it’s essential to maintain your house well to prevent and avoid needing a home insurance claim. Below are some of our best home maintenance tips for the Spring season.
Inspect Your Trees
The trees around your home may be a gorgeous addition to your house’s landscaping, but they can also be a massive hazard if not properly maintained. Changing seasons can put a lot of pressure on the trees around your home, so checking for any pressing issues like breaking tree trunks, creeping branches, tree roots growing out, and more is essential. The sooner you find and address any possible problems with the trees around your home, the better the chance you have to fix the issue before it becomes a huge problem.
Remove Creeping Plants
The large trees around your house can become a hazard, as can the smaller plants around your home. Although less of a risk, smaller plants can also creep into hazardous areas. Plant bushes and branches can creep, but so can their roots too. It’s essential to check all the plants and trees around your home to ensure the branches and roots aren’t causing any problems to the exterior and foundation of your home.
Clean Your Gutters & Drains
The drains inside your home and the street gutters surrounding your home are prone to accumulate leaves and debris. This is especially the case after the wet winters we experience in Victoria and around Vancouver Island. Homes can get flooded with backwater if these drains and gutters are not adequately cleaned from time to time, so it’s essential to do this seasonally, especially in the Spring season!
Check Your Sump Pump
Like the drains and gutters in/around your home help keep any backwater away from your home, so do sump pumps. Make sure to check your sump pump seasonally too! If there are any issues with your sump pump, address and fix the concerns as early as possible.
Inspect The Exterior of Your Home
Changing seasons can put a lot of stress on and damage your home’s exterior. From your house’s sidings to its roof, foundation, and more – it’s important to give the exterior of your house a thorough walk-through during this time of year to inspect and assess for any damage that the harsh winter months may have brought to your home.
Check and Clean Your Chimney
If your home has a chimney, it’s always a good idea to check and clean it periodically throughout the year. This is especially the case come Spring after you’ve been using the chimney to keep you warm during the cold winter. Make sure to check for and clean your chimney of any possible debris accumulation to decrease the chances of any smoke back-up and limit the risk of any fires.
Give Your Plumbing a Once Over
Giving your plumbing a check for any issues is always a good idea, so you might as well put that on your Spring maintenance checklist.
Check Smoke Alarms and CO2 Detectors
Check to ensure that your smoke alarms and CO2 detectors are functioning correctly and that batteries are good too.
Contact Us!
If you live in Alberta or British Columbia and are looking for Home Insurance, we are here to answer any questions you may have about our range of home insurance products and services. Contact us at 1.844.544.4663 and see for yourself what makes us Harbord – The Home Insurance People™!
