Spring Home Maintenance Checklist: Avoid Costly Repairs with These Must-Do Tasks

Spring is the perfect time to refresh your home—inside and out. Here’s what every homeowner should do this season.

Although it feels like winter has already left us here in Texas, in theory spring is not here yet. But as the days grow longer, it's the perfect time to refresh your home and shake things out after being inside all winter. The transition isn't just about spring cleaning, it's about ensuring your home is in top shape to prevent expensive repairs down the line. From the roof to the foundation inside and out here's our spring guide for getting your home ready for warmer months.

Exterior Maintenance: Protecting Your Home’s First Line of Defense

Roof & Gutters: Inspect and Clear Winter’s Aftermath

After months of exposure to harsh winter weather, your roof and gutters need attention. Inspect the roof for missing or damaged shingles, as these can lead to leaks that compromise your home’s structure. If you do  notice sagging, or any signs of water damage, call a professional before small issues turn into costly repairs.

Courtesy of 123switch

Gutters and downspouts also take a beating during winter. Here, you'll need to clear out leaves, twigs, and other debris to ensure proper drainage. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage, including foundation problems and basement flooding is left in tended.  If you haven't already, consider installing gutter guards to make upkeep easier.

Windows & Doors: Improve Efficiency and Let in the Light

Let's move on to windows and doors. With warmer weather approaching, it’s time to prepare your windows and doors for fresh air and sunshine. Inspect seals, weatherstripping and caulking for cracks or gaps that could allow cool air to escape, leading to higher energy costs. Re-caulking these areas helps maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. (And given our location, we need all the help we can get.)

Courtesy of Pexels

Give your exterior windows a thorough washing to remove winter grime and improve natural light. Also, check window and door screens for any tears or damage—repairing them now will prevent pests from sneaking inside when you open your home to spring breezes. The great news is that if there are any small tears, you can now buy patches instead of having to replace the full screen. 

Driveway & Walkways: Repair Winter’s Wear and Tear

Most cracked sidewalks will be smaller than this, but it's worth checking.

Cold temperatures and moisture can wreak havoc on your driveway and walkways. You'll need to look for cracks, potholes, or uneven surfaces that could become safety hazards. Sealing and repairing these issues early will prevent further deterioration and ensure safe passage for your family and guests. 

Outdoor Faucets & Sprinklers: Restore Water Flow

If you turned off exterior water sources for the winter, now’s the time to turn them back on. You'll also want to remove any foam protectors that you placed, as during warm months, those can be top homes for bugs and mice. Check for leaks in outdoor faucets and hoses, and ensure your sprinkler system is working properly. If you do have a sprinkler system, take the time to adjust the coverage to make sure all of your lawn gets water. 

Yard & Landscaping: Refresh and Revitalize

Winter can leave your yard looking a little worse for wear. Before you start gardening, you'll want to get it cleaned up. Start by removing debris such as fallen branches and leaves. Prune overgrown trees and hedges, especially those near your home, to prevent damage from high winds during spring storms. Adding mulch and ground cover will help to retain moisture and suppress weeds—refresh these areas for a polished, healthy landscape. 

Interior Maintenance: A Fresh Start for Your Living Spaces

HVAC System: Prepare for Warmer Days

Courtesy of Chad Populis

Let's get the biggest task out of the way first. Before the heat of summer sets in, you will want to schedule a professional inspection and tune-up for your air conditioning system. Regular maintenance keeps your HVAC system running efficiently and prevents breakdowns during peak usage. While you wait for that date to roll around, you can replace your HVAC and furnace filters to improve air quality and keep your home comfortable.

Kitchen & Appliances: Deep Clean and Maintain for Efficiency

Your kitchen appliances work hard year-round, and spring is a great time to give them a little TLC. Clean the range hood and vent filters to prevent grease buildup, which can be a fire hazard. (Especially after all of the heavy foods from the holidays.) You'll also want to check and clean your dishwasher and washing machine filters to ensure they operate at peak efficiency.

Courtesy of Kristoferb

Your refrigerator also needs attention—vacuum the coils to improve efficiency and check that the seals are intact to maintain proper cooling. If you have a chest freezer, warmer days mean it is easier to defrost it if ice buildup exceeds 1/4 inch. After all, spring is a great time to start laying in pre-made meals for less cooking during summer. 

Bathrooms & Plumbing: Prevent Costly Water Damage

A few simple checks can help avoid plumbing headaches down the road. Start off by inspecting your pipes for leaks and weak water pressure. You'll also want to clean the sink and shower drains to prevent any clogs. It's also an ideal time to descale your shower head, as it should be done once a quarter. 

General Home Upkeep: Refresh Your Space

Spring cleaning isn’t just about tidying up—it’s about maintaining your home’s condition, especially after being inside and with guests all winter. Take this time to wash sofa covers, wipe down walls, and remove scuff marks. These small touches can make your home feel bright and renewed.

By tackling these maintenance tasks early in the season, you’ll ensure a smooth transition into spring and summer. A little effort now can save time, money, and stress in the long run—helping you enjoy the warmer months with peace of mind.

If you find that any of your appliances are giving you trouble, you can reach out to us at Appliance Rescue Service. While we aren't great at spring cleaning, we are fantastic at keeping your appliances running while you do. Even better we will work with you to find a time that best fits your schedule this spring for our technicians to visit. You can reach out to us at our website or give us a call to get started on scheduling a maintenance visit.

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Courtesy of Monika

Additional Reading

Stay Cozy This Winter: Key Chores for Your Home

Prepare Your Home for Fall: Essential Maintenance Tips

Beat the Heat: Preparing Your Texas Home for Summer

Stay Cozy This Winter: Key Chores for Your Home

Essential tips to prepare your home for winter weather.

Winter is just around the corner and we’re excited!  Finally our favorite time of the year, when it might finally be cold enough we don’t have to have the HVAC on all day! No, no, we’re joking. We know as much as you do that winter in Texas can be a bit weird. Some years we don’t drop below freezing, and other years we get tons of snow dumped on us. Since we can’t tell what winter will bring, we’re going to go over the full list of ways to prepare your home for winter. 

This time, we’re starting inside the house. We’re looking at everything that  needs to be done at least once a year, since we really don’t want to go outside right now. 

Let’s start by tackling the fans. If you forgot to do it in the fall (or didn’t need to yet) now is the time to switch your fan to rotate clockwise. This will force the warm air downwards and help keep you warmer. 

Next up, let’s hit the kitchen for a few things.

Here you’re going to want to 

Change the air filter on your refrigerator. It should be done at least every six months, and since we last did it in summer, now is the ideal time.  Look inside your refrigerator towards the back top of the inside, and that is where most filters are located. 

Change the water filter on your refrigerator. This one is an every six months task in most households, but for some it’ll be every six. Either way, for most you’re still going to be looking inside the refrigerator towards the top.  Many times it’s a matter of popping down a hatch and twisting to remove the old filter. Keep a cloth handy as it can make a bit of a mess. 

While we’re still poking at your refrigerator, take a few minutes to clean the coils. This is another one of those quarterly tasks, and somehow we still forget it. All you need is your vacuum and a brush attachment to be able to reach back behind the fridge and brush everything down. Once you’ve given them a good scrub, you’re good to go for another three months. 

Now let’s go over to your furnace and change the filters there. Since we don’t handle furnaces we can’t give you any generaltieis on where a filter will be located, but your manual should have it handy. 

Now let’s take a wander around the house. If you’re easily chilled you can do this without anything, if not, you might want to bring a candle with you. We’re going to be looking for drafts. 

As you wander see if you find any areas near doors, windows or exterior walls that are unusually cold, or where your candle flame wavers. You want to find the drafts, mark them with a pencil and then when you’re done you can come back and start the next step.
That next step is going to be one of three things. 

• Caulk or patch the hole in question. 

• If there isn’t a hole, it’s just an old window, you might consider putting up some window film for the winter. 

• If it’s a wall rather than a window, you might consider that the insulation in that area is poor and you’ll need to find out a) why it doesn’t have any, such as pests, and b) how to go about replacing or adding it.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Adding in various forms of insulation will make a huge difference in keeping your home warm this winter. Even just small tips like patching interior holes and putting film over or in the windows can as well. You’ll also notice the change that it makes in your electric bill, as the insulation will make it easier to stay at a set temperature. 

Courtesy of justynkalp

One area that does need to be looked at, but we understand if you’re not wanting to do it, would be the attic. Heat rises, and if there is no insulation in your attic, all of the heat that goes up is going to be coming out. For that reason, we firmly believe in checking it every three to six months. While up there, you’ll also want to look for any pests, holes or mold 

 Test Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Detectors

One last thing is that if you didn’t change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the fall, you need to do them now. Not only iis it a good habit, but if you’re relying on heaters or a fire place to keep warm, you need to be able to keep an eye on these levels.
While you’re at it, check on the fire extinguisher, to make sure that it’s still in date.

With that, we’re done! Well. With the inside. Now it’s time to throw on a coat and take a walk around outside, as it’s time to check the house out on the outside. 

We might as well work top to bottom while we’re doing this, so it’s up to the roof for you or whatever helpers you can wrangle for this.  

Start by taking a look at the shingles.. You’ll want to look for any that are curling or cracked, and keep an eye out for any that are missing. You’ll also need to take a look at the metal flashing around your chimney, pipes and any skylights. If any of these are an issue, you’ll need a roofer before the winter rains really hit. 

Courtesy of stux.

Next up, you’ll want to take a look at the gutters. Are there any breaks or leaks in the gutters or the downspouts?  Clean out any leaves or debris that have built up, and patch any damage you can find now. 

A final step for on top of the roof is seeing if any trees need to be trimmed back to keep pests like mice, raccoons or squirrels from making a winter home in your roof. While we don’t recommend doing it yourself unless you’re trained to do so, it does help to have an idea of whether or not it’s an issue in the first place. 

Courtesy of Marc Pascual

Once back on the ground,  let’s keep pests in mind. With colder weather coming, they’re going to look for places to keep warm. Go around looking for food and water sources they can get at, as well as any cracks or crevices. You’ll want to get rid of any water sources like dripping faucets, as well as any food they can easily get at, and patch any cracks you come across. 

While you’re looking around for water, it’s also a good time to drain your sprinkler system and any outdoor water features you have. Having those pipes explode in the depths of winter is not fun, and the damage afterwards is annoying to clean up. 

To protect your outdoor faucets from freezing, start by disconnecting any attached hoses and storing them away. Next, drain any water remaining in the faucet by opening it fully. If your faucets have shut-off valves inside the house, turn those off as well. For extra protection, cover the faucets with insulated covers, which you can find at most hardware stores. These simple steps can help prevent frozen pipes and costly repairs during the winter.

Since you have the water features and faucets cleaned up, we might as well take a look at the landscaping. Trimming back unwanted plants isn’t just a matter of pulling out things that you didn’t want growing, it’s also a matter of reducing hiding spots for pests, and protecting the foundation of your home if they’re growing too close.  All of this is most easily done during colder weather. 

Next up, we’ll want to tackle the dryer exhaust duct. It’s one that you need to do at least once a year, as too much build up can prevent your dryer from not only drying efficiently, but it can cause house fires. If you can access it on your own, you might not need to call in a professional. Make sure to vacuum every nook and cranny though, or you’ll have to do this again much sooner than next winter. 

Our final two tips are to clean out and cover your grill.
It’s time to give it a good deep cleaning before you put it away for the winter. Scrub the grates, scrub the outside and make sure to follow any of the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Now that your home is winter-ready inside and out, you can enjoy the season without worrying about unexpected surprises. Whether you’re relaxing by the fire or spending time with loved ones, knowing your home is prepped can bring peace of mind.

If you discover any issues with your appliances along the way—whether it’s a refrigerator coil that won’t stay clean or a dryer duct that needs professional attention—our team at Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. We’ll ensure your appliances stay in top shape, so you can focus on what truly matters this winter. Reach out today and let us handle the rest!

Website

Call: (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Common Appliance Issues That Could Ruin Your Holiday – And How to Prevent Them

Prepare Your Home for Fall: Essential Maintenance Tips

Beat the Heat: Preparing Your Texas Home for Summer

 37 Reasons To Have Your Appliances Maintained Regularly

Hidden Veggies: Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls That Impress

A family-friendly recipe for soft and savory rolls with a hidden veggie

We figure plenty of people like us might have overbought their sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and still have a couple of them rolling about the pantry after the holiday. Fresh sweet potatoes are pretty hardy and will last a while, but it's best to get them used up to avoid waste. We decided to mash some more of them, and instead of making something common, hide them in a dinner roll.

Hidden veggies are, in our opinion, the best when you have little ones. Our little one is not so little any longer - he has instead entered the "I subsist entirely on processed garbage and carbs" phase - and this still worked quite nicely for him. Even after he realized there was a vegetable (gasp!) in his bread (the affront!), he still ate more of them than anyone else at the table.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes

2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup warm milk

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

small amount of butter or olive oil, for greasing the bowl and pan

Tools:

10 inch cast iron skillet or large Dutch oven

measuring cups and spoons

knife or bench scraper (for leveling flour and separating dough)

mixing bowl(s)

instant-read thermometer (useful but not strictly necessary)

stand mixer with dough hook (useful but not strictly necessary)

While we started with fresh sweet potatoes, and peeled, boiled, drained and mashed them, you don't have to. You're welcome to begin with baked sweet potatoes, frozen or even canned if you can find the unsweetened kind.

The important part is to have half a cup, post-mashing, with minimal to no other ingredients, and to allow that half cup to cool to room temperature.

Heat your water to somewhere over 100 degrees but less than 115. This is where a thermometer comes in handy, but if you don't have one, here's a little trick to guess the water temperature. Run the water at the kitchen tap and hold a finger under it until you can feel the water getting good and hot. Just before it gets too hot to keep your finger in the water, fill the cup and turn off the water. (Career cooks and servers, please disregard this advice and find a thermometer, as your heat tolerance is generally higher than average.) From this full cup of water, measure out the three tablespoons you need. Add the dry yeast to it, stir, and sprinkle in a pinch of sugar.

Assuming your sweet potato mash has had a chance to cool, add it to the mixing bowl (or the mixer, if you're using one like we did). Measure in the sugar, salt, butter and warm milk. Stir until combined.

Add in the yeast/water/sugar mixture and give a quick mix before measuring in one and a half level cups of flour. Make sure not to pack the flour into the measuring cups, and to use the flat side of a knife or the edge of a bench scraper to take any excess off the top.

Mix with a dough hook or knead by hand until dough starts to form. It'll be sticky at this stage. If you're using a stand mixer, this is the last stage you'll want it to work on. Even the vaunted KitchenAid will struggle with dense doughs, and this one is about to get dense.

Add another half cup of flour to the sticky dough ball in the mixing bowl. Knead it in by hand. If the dough is still feeling sticky - not tacky, but well and truly sticky - add up to another three quarters of a cup of flour. Do so slowly and stay very hands on, because it probably doesn't take as much as you think to go from sticky dough to dough that's too dry to take on any more flour.

At the point the dough is smooth and just a bit tacky, turn it out onto a floured surface and work it by hand for 5 minutes. Grease the inside of a clean mixing bowl (either clean the one you were just working in, or grab a clean one) and plop the dough ball in. Cover it - with a pot lid, a cutting board, plastic wrap, foil, a clean towel, whatever you have - and allow it to sit somewhere warm to rise for at least an hour.

After it's doubled in size, punch it down, roll it over in the greased bowl, and turn it out onto a flat surface. Using a knife or bench scraper (if you use something sharp, do so on a mat or a board, and not on your countertops!) divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into balls.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, grease the inside of the skillet or Dutch oven, and move the dough balls to the skillet for a second rise. Let them sit and rise for at least 20 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes. Brush the tops with butter for extra appeal.

Website 

Call: (214) 599-0055

Additional Reading

Healthy and Flavorful: A Caponata Recipe That You'll Love

Get Your Protein with This Buddha Bowl 

Fall Comfort Food: How to Make Perfectly Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Impress Your Guests with This Easy-to-Make Apple Pecan French Toast Bake

Bright Ideas: The Dos and Don'ts of Smart Lighting in Your Home

Get the Most Out of Your  Smart Lighting with These Expert Tips

Lighting in our homes is undergoing a thrilling transformation, all thanks to the integration of smart technology, like smart bulbs. These advancements not only bring numerous benefits to the home but also open up a world of possibilities. Here’s a comprehensive guide on the dos and don'ts of smart lighting, to help you make the most of this exciting technology.

Dos

Do Check Compatibility

Before you purchase smart bulbs, ensure they are compatible with your current light fixtures and home automation systems. Not all smart bulbs work with all setups, so doing your homework can save you from potential headaches. As an example, just think about the differences between Alexa and Google Home, and trying to get them to work together. 

Do Consider Lumens Instead of Watts

Courtesy of Cloudlynx

Traditional bulbs are measured in watts, but smart bulbs are measured in lumens. Lumens indicate brightness rather than power draw, like watts. Be sure to check the lumen output to get the right brightness level for your space.

Do Set Up Routines and Timers 

Smart lights come with the ability to establish timers and routines. Yet many people forget this not long after they get them, and lose out on some of the best features.  Take advantage of these in your own home to customize your lighting, save energy and create moods for various events. You can also use them to enhance your security by giving the appearance that someone is home. 

Do Focus on Color and Warmth

Your smart bulbs offer a full-color spectrum, and it’s lots of fun to play with different color set ups. However, when you’re looking to give your home a new look, make sure and pay attention to the warmth of your light as well. Warm lights like yellows or soft whites help make your home feel cozy and comfortable, while cooler blues help you  stay alert. Additionally, you have to consider how different tones of light can give you a headache.

Do Track Your Energy Usage 

Courtesy of Haus Automation

There are many smart bulbs that allow you to monitor the energy output that they are using. This can make your life easier when it comes to finding spaces where you can cut consumption and lower your electric bills. 

Do Prepare Your Network

Smart bulbs are hooked directly into your Wi-fi network all the time. Before you bring them into your home, make sure that your network can handle the additional load of the bulbs you’re getting. If not, consider upgrading to a mesh network. A mesh network is a Wi-Fi system that uses multiple access points to spread the signal evenly throughout your home, ensuring a stable connection for your smart bulbs.

Don'ts

Don't Neglect Proper Installation

Like any piece of technology there are ‘right’ ways to use it and ‘incorrect’  ways to use it. One of the most common issues people run into is not researching the proper installation methods before purchasing. Doing this can lead to the bulb overheating, or the fancy bulb you bought…dying long before it should have. One key tip to avoid is recessed fixtures that don’t allow head to dissipate from the bulb. 

Don't Overlook the Learning Curve 

Smart bulbs are indeed smart, with a plethora of features that everyone is eager to explore. However, it's important to remember that there is a learning curve. Take the time to familiarize yourself with them before you start using them, so you can dive right into the fun stuff. Most importantly, be patient with yourself as you learn-you've got this. 

Don't Use Dimmer Switches

Smart bulbs are controlled from the app. In addition to being able to chose your color and timer settings, you can also change how bright your lights are. From the app. Let’s say that again, from the app. Many people love dimmer switches prior to converting to smart bulbs, and after. The problem is that using a dimmer switch with a smart bulb can damage that smart bulb.  Using them with traditional dimmer switches can cause flickering and reduce bulb performance.

Don't Ignore Security Concerns 

Smart bulbs are part of the Internet of Things. Just like we’ve talked about with smart appliances, smart bulbs are gaps in your internet security. Before you connect them into your network, make sure that you use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication. Also make sure that you keep up with upgrades to your network and the smart bulbs 

Don't Ignore Connectivity Issues 

Are there any spots in your home that your network is less than ideal? Or where it goes out entirely? Prior to getting smart-bulbs you need to fix that. Smart bulbs require a stable Wi-fi system. If your network goes down due to those lovely Texas power surges,, you can lose control of your lights. Plan ahead of time to avoid losing your lights out of the blue. 

Don't Buy on Promises 

Just like any other new piece of technology, companies often make promises that don’t always come to fruition. Instead of buying based on future promises, make your smart bulb purchase based on what they can already offer your home. This cautious approach will ensure you make informed decisions about your smart lighting technology. 

Don't Forget to Manually Reset When Needed 

Courtesy of Gerd Altman

Just like any other piece of technology, sometimes, smart bulbs will bug out. When in doubt, don’t assume that the bulb is broken, try a manual reset following the manufacturers’ instructions to get things back in order. 

Smart lighting technology can offer incredible efficiency and convenience for your home. However, it also comes with its own challenges. Follow our dos and don’ts to make the most of your new technology and avoid the most common pitfalls. 

At Appliance Rescue Service, we're all about sharing helpful tips for managing your home. Just a friendly reminder that connecting lots of devices, like those cool new smart bulbs, to your Wi-Fi can affect how well your smart appliances work. While we can't sort out your internet issues, we're definitely here to help fix any problems with your appliances. Our goal is to keep your home running smoothly, so please reach out if you need expert appliance repair and maintenance. We're always happy to help!

Additional Reading

Kickstarter in the Kitchen

The Planned Obsolescence Debate