home improvement guy

With the change of seasons, it's time to open your windows and let that fresh spring breeze flow through your home. But it's also time to inspect your property for damage, maintenance issues and potential improvements.

If you conduct a thorough home walkthrough, your spring tests and inspections will fly by – and you'll be on to enjoying the weather in no time.

- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they're working properly, and swap out old batteries ...

When you plan for spring lawn maintenance, don't overlook aeration and dethatching. These two seemingly unglamorous, unexciting processes can play a big role in maintaining a healthy, bright lawn through the summer.

AERATION IMPROVES NUTRIENT ACCESS

Soil tends to compact over time, and this hinders the passage of air, water and nutrients to your grass roots. Aerating a lawn involves creating deep, slender holes that create a pathway for water and nutrients to reach hungry ...

Water is one of the most important utilities in the home, and one of the easiest to overuse. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average home loses 10,000 gallons per year to leaks. The EPA has declared March 18-24 as Fix a Leak Week, but you can improve your home's water usage any time.

Follow these tips to conserve water around the house and save money while doing your part to use water wisely.

Update your appliances: Older appliances ...

If you're like most homeowners, your home maintenance to-do list is longest during the spring. Over the course of a few short weeks, you need to clean house, get organized and tend to any essential maintenance issues that resulted from winter's harsh weather.

Chances are, you can't get to everything on the list yourself, which is where the pros come in. But which projects should you hire out and which should you tackle yourself?

HIRE IT OUT

DEEP CLEAN CARPETS ...

With the change of seasons, it's time to update your home task list and get ready for spring. Don't overlook basic maintenance during your preparations. These tasks may be among the least glamorous, but they're crucial to keeping your home in tip-top shape.

Get an HVAC inspection: You should hire a professional to assess your HVAC system twice a year – shortly before you begin to use heating in fall, and again when you begin to use air conditioning in spring. A thorough inspection will ...