Spring is almost here, and your home’s exterior is going to want some sprucing up.

Spring cleaning isn’t only for your closets, you know. It’s for the outside too.

Maintaining your home’s exterior isn’t just to keep it looking good, it’s to help your home last longer as well. Peeling paint or cracked siding allows moisture in, possibly leading to mold growth or rot.

The first warm day may tempt you into putting on your dirty sneakers, charging outside and attacking the first job that needs doing. Resist this method. It’s not the best way to get things done.

Start by making a list of what needs doing. Choose a cold, gray day with a bit of wind to do this, so you’re not tempted to embark on scratching items off the list immediately, without proper supplies or preparation.

Here’s how to start, and what direction to take:

  1. Make note of anything broken or in disrepair, like cracked concrete, loose gutters or downspouts, rickety porch railings, cracked siding or stucco, missing shingles, loose or rotten decking and anything else you see that needs attention.

  2. Decide what repairs and updates you can make yourself and what you need help with. If you have a large, two-story home, gutter repair and inspection may not be a task you can realistically perform. Other jobs, like replacing a vinyl siding panel, may be easy for some homeowners, but not others.

  3. Make calls now to get yourself on the schedule of any home exterior service companies — once the warm weather hits, everyone will be booked up and you’ll have to wait longer for an appointment.

  4. Make a list of the supplies you need to do the jobs you plan to do yourself. Also check to make sure you have the right tools. If you plan to paint your porch railings and you go out and buy the paint and get home to find that your paintbrush is as stiff as a board because you didn’t clean it well enough last time you used it, you’ll just waste time having to make a second trip to the home improvement store.

  5. Plan out what tasks you will do when. Include contingency plans in case of bad weather. Be realistic with your plan — don’t expect to be able to get everything done in one weekend. In fact, build in a lot of extra time — then, when you get done early, you’ll feel proud!

If you need help with any of your outdoor spring cleaning or maintenance tasks, call the experts at Renovation by Burbach. We can repair your siding, stucco, stone, gutters and more, because we’re northern Utah’s leading home exterior installation and repair professionals.