Home Maintenance 101

While home insurance can protect you from the unexpected events with your home, it doesn't cover basic wear and tear or seasonal maintenance. Keeping your home in good shape helps protect your investment. Progressive put together a helpful seasonal home maintenance checklist to keep your home in top condition all year long.

Spring Home Maintenance

• Check the roof for loose shingles or damage from ice and snow.

• Check for damage to power lines, trees, or other external structures.

• Clean the gutters and make sure they drain well.

• Examine the deck or patio. Consider replacing rotten boards and renewing the finish or weather-proofing.

• Change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

• If you have a chimney, you may want to check or clean it after using it throughout the winter.

• Remove seasonal weather items like storm windows or insulating plastic.

• Do any primary lawn care, like planting seeds, fertilizing the grass, or repairing sprinkler systems.

• Check your air conditioner. Make sure to do it in time to have any necessary repairs before hot weather hits in earnest.

Summer Home Maintenance

• Lawn care is essential in the summer. Make sure to water your lawn if you live somewhere hot or with low rainfall. Mow the yard, but don’t cut it too short. A bit of length can protect the roots from heat and drought.

• Check insect screens for holes and repair as necessary.

• Keep an eye out for pests in the house, as they may be trying to escape the heat too. It’s easier to get rid of them if you catch them early rather than once you have a full-blown infestation.

• Change the direction of your ceiling fans, so they blow air downward.

• Prepare any outdoor equipment like grills or swimming pools. You might give them a good cleaning and get them ready for use.

• Check and clean your major appliances (refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc.). If they need to be repaired or replaced, it’s more comfortable to go without them for a day or two while you have good weather.

Making and following a seasonal home maintenance checklist can help you keep track of what you need to do and when you need to do it to keep your home in top condition all year round. - Progressive Insurance

Fall Home Maintenance

• Consider updating or touching up your siding, trim, and paint.

• Perform a bi-annual check of the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

• Rake the lawn. If your yard stays covered with too many leaves, it can promote mold growth.

• Clear your gutters periodically. Falling leaves can easily clog them.

• Have your home and heating systems winterized.

• Drain and put away hot-weather gear like sprinklers, pools, and hoses.

• Install any cold-weather systems like window plastic and storm windows.

Winter Home Maintenance

• Get winter weather supplies like salt or sand for your driveway.

• Locate and check snow shovels, snowblowers, and other winter tools to ensure they’re in working order. Make sure you have fuel for snowblowers on hand.

• Change your ceiling fans so they pull air up toward the ceiling.

• Keep an eye out for ice accumulating on your home, especially on the roof and eaves. Icicles can be dangerous if they fall, and ice dams damage the roof and siding.

• Plan for any holiday travel or winter weather emergencies. If you’re leaving home or if there’s freezing weather, make sure you know how to winterize your home and prevent your pipes from freezing.