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