Spring tasks for the home

Follow this checklist to ready home for spring

It’s spring at last – the perfect time to get outdoors. Although it’s tempting to sit in the sunshine watching the birds and flowers, taking some time to complete these maintenance tasks now can help make the coming warmer months more enjoyable, both indoors and out.

Spring clean

This ritual started in a time when people needed good weather to lug rugs outside and beat them to release dust and mites. Vacuum cleaners ended that chore, but we have hung onto the idea of spring cleaning and decluttering. Pick a room or two and devote a chilly day to cleaning from the ceiling to the floor. Dust the ceiling and walls with a microfiber cloth wrapped around broom bristles, wash the blinds and light fixtures, clean closets or bookshelves and sell or donate things you no longer use. Finish by washing or vacuuming the floor.

If you’re tackling the kitchen, use warm, soapy water to wash walls and cabinets. Dry wood with a clean cloth immediately to avoid soaking it. To eliminate grease stains on painted walls, the AnswerLine of Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach recommends a solution of equal parts white vinegar and hot water, or a paste with 3 tablespoons of baking soda and a cup of warm water. Ammonia – diluted at a ratio of 2 cups per gallon of hot water – also works, but gloves and good ventilation are essential.

Plan around pollen

Even if you don’t need air conditioning yet, you might want to run the fan to filter out pollen. If you’re allergic and have must- do outdoor chores, tackle them when trigger plants aren’t at peak bloom. To check whether it’s a good time, consider signing up for emails or web access to local pollen counts from the National Allergy Bureau. Wearing a disposable respirator while working also helps.

Fix the fence

If your fence looks grungy, scrub and hose it off, or use a power washer. Then consider applying a fresh coat of stain or paint, but only if it’s already painted ( paint can peel and might need more maintenance than a stained or naturally weathered fence). If the fence is wobbly or leaning, check for rotted posts. You can replace the post, but that’s hard to do without taking down adjoining fence sections. Consider fortifying the existing post with an anchoring system such as the Fix- A- Fence repair bracket ($ 57.72 at Home Depot). It has an offset base, which in most cases should allow it to work even if the post is set into concrete. To install the anchor base, dig a hole 18 inches deep and 6 inches across parallel to the post and mix a 60- pound bag of concrete. Once the concrete sets, screw the top of the brace to the post.

Test sprinklers

If you have a sprinkler system, set the timer to manual and test one zone at a time. Look for nozzles that are broken or not adjusted to spray efficiently; you want water delivered relatively uniformly to all areas of a lawn, not to pavement. If you have a drip system for perennial beds or a vegetable garden, turn on the water and make sure it isn’t shooting out from broken connector lines. Inspect each line and replace or clean any clogged emitters. If your automatic watering systems leave patches of landscaping too dry, consider replanting with species that thrive in drier soil. Once established, many native plants suited to the sun or shade can thrive on rainfall alone.

Clean and reseal the driveway

If you have an asphalt driveway where bare stones show, late April may be a good time to reseal it. Buy the sealer first, then follow instructions on the label, starting with choosing a good time to begin. You’ll need at least two dry days ( one to clean, one to coat) and nights that aren’t too cold; check the product label for ideal temperatures. You might need a primer over oil stains. And if the pavement is cracked, you’ll need a crack- filler with a liquid or putty- like consistency, depending on the width of the cracks.

To choose the best sealer, look at the length of the warranty. Latex- ite, for example, makes sealers labeled as Ultra Shield ($ 34.97 for a 4.75- gallon bucket at Home Depot), Optimum ($ 33.97) and Airport Grade ($ 24.97). Coverage rates on these products are identical, and the basic mixture in the bucket is the same. But a customer service representative for Dalton Enterprises, which owns the brand, said there is one key difference: Ultra Shield has the most polymer so it will last the longest. Thus, it has a 10- year warranty. Optimum’s is eight years; Airport Grade’s is four.

Of course, if you want to reseal your driveway frequently so it’s uniformly black, or if you are getting a house ready to sell, the least- expensive sealer might be the best bargain. For most people though, it’s a no- brainer to spend an extra $ 10 to get six years’ more life from a coating.

Tune up outdoor furniture

Dining outdoors is one of the great pleasures of spring and summer. Now’s the time to get furniture in tiptop shape.

- Teak. If the wood is blotchy or black with mildew, scrub with a teak cleaner and a synthetic or brass pad. One- part cleaners are safest; they don’t rough up the wood. Rinse and let dry. Apply teak oil if you want the wood to stay its natural color, or skip it if you’d rather have wood that ages to a mellow gray.

- Wrought iron. Use a wire brush to scrub off any rust damage, ideally down to bare metal. Scuff up other areas by sanding lightly. Apply a rust- inhibiting primer, then repaint.

- Strap or plastic wicker. Remove brittle plastic, then weave on new vinyl strapping. A lattice pattern with a double wrap on the frame is more durable than simple horizontal straps. Find materials by searching for “patio furniture repair” online.

- Plastic. Even inexpensive chairs need a thorough cleaning. If you can’t get them clean, spruce them up with paint. Try Zinsser bullseye 1- 2- 3 water- based primer ($ 16.99 a quart at Ace Hardware), topped by any outdoor water- based paint. Or use a spray paint such as Krylon fusion all- inone ($ 8.59 a can at Ace Hardware).

Care for the deck

Do an inspection, beginning with the ledger board where the deck is attached to the house. Poke at the wood to make sure it is solid and well attached, not rotting or pulling free. Also check railings and handrails on stairs to make sure they’re solid and don’t wiggle. Remove, or at least move aside, any furniture or potted plants and sweep thoroughly. Then dampen the area, spray on soapy water and scrub down the boards.

On wood or traditional ( uncapped) composite decking, use warm, soapy water or a deck cleaner such as Behr premium all- in- one wood cleaner ($ 11.63 at Home Depot). For capped composite decking, just use warm, soapy water.

Scrub with a nylon- bristle brush in the direction of the boards. If you use a power washer, set the pressure no higher than 3,100 pounds per square inch, use a fan nozzle and keep the tip at least 8 inches from the boards.