Sunday, March 6, 2011

Spring Maintenance Tips and Reminders

Spring is only a few weeks away.  Soon you'll be pulling out your grill and inviting family and friends to your home for some memorable times.  But before you fire up your grill and show off your skills you'll need to spruce up your home, indoors and out.  Below is a list of Spring tips and reminders to help you maintain and increase the beauty of your home, lawn and landscaping.

If you happen to be busy at work and have no time to attend to these chores, hire a professional.  Dobra Property Maintenance provides quality handyman services, lawn care, lawn mowing, landscaping, leaf and yard cleanup, gutter cleaning, vinyl fence installation, brick pavers, retaining walls, snow plowing and related services to residential and commercial property owners with quality and professional workmanship, strict attention to detail and customer satisfaction.

Call 732-501-4006 for a free estimate or visit our website at www.dobra.co.


Outdoor Spring Tips

Trees and shrubs:
  • Prune trees, shape, thin, raise the undercarriage, and clear out dead, damaged and infected branches
  • Trim crape myrtles, ornamental grasses and liriope
  • Prune rose bushes
  • Fertilize trees and shrubs
  • Inspect for insects and diseases (this is the time of year they begin to be active) check early for signs of damage

Lawns:
  • Spring clean up
  • Have your soil tested
  • Aerate the lawn
  • Split seed any bare or dead areas of the lawn
  • Fertilize lightly
  • Apply pre-emergent weed control over entire lawn
  • Apply post-emergent weed-control as needed
  • Inspect for insects and disease, treating as necessary
  • Mow, trim, and edge lawn areas as needed

  Softscapes (Planted beds):
  • Apply a fresh layer of mulch to beds
  • Remove weeds, sticks, debris, etc., from planted areas
  • Apply pre-emergent weed control in planted areas
  • Apply post-emergent weed control as needed
  • Inspect for insects and disease, treating as necessary
  • Begin spring flower installation after the last frost, usually May 15th or later (annuals, perennials, herbs)
  • Maintain planted areas by deadheading flowers, weeding, and fertilizing as necessary

Hardscapes (Water features, irrigation systems, outdoor lighting, driveways, patios,and walks):
  • Clean out debris, fill, treat and test all water features. Open as necessary after May 1st
  • Turn on and inspect irrigation systems after May 1st
  • Reset automatic timers on outdoor lighting when Daylight Savings Time begins
  • Check outdoor lighting fixtures for damage, replacing bulbs if necessary
  • Inspect driveways, walks and patios for any damage caused by winter weather, repairing as necessary

Indoor Spring Tips

  • Replace your furnace filter
  • Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter
  • Check your electrical system
  • Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible.
  • Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage
  • Review your fire escape plan with your family
  • Consider installing a lightning protection system on your home
  • Protect all your electrical appliances from power surges and lightning
  • Have a professional air conditioning contractor inspect and maintain your system as recommended by the manufacturer
  • Check for damage to your roof
  • Run through a severe-weather drill with your family
  • Repair all cracked, broken or uneven driveways and walks to help provide a level walking surface
  • Protect your home from sewer or drain back-up losses
  • Check all the fascia and trim for deterioration
  • Check your water heater
  • Check the shutoff valve at each plumbing fixture to make sure they function
  • Clean clothes dryer exhaust duct, damper, and space under the dryer
  • Replace all extension cords that have become brittle, worn or damaged
  • Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
The above indoor checklist was supplied by State Farm Insurance, further details can be found here.

Dobra Property Maintenance LLC
Colonia, NJ 07067
732-501-4006 / info@dobra.co

NJ Home Improvement Contractor #13VH05912800
Fully Licensed and Insured.