Springing into Action with Spring Chores by Viktor Zimmer

Spring is finally upon us. Time to check out what the winter has done to the exterior of your investment -- roofing, gutters, exterior paint, caulking and the grounds should be all items on your checklist.

Your first priority should be your roof. Snow and ice can damage shingles and rubber roofing and should be inspected. If you have no experience in roofing it would be advised to hire a roofer to inspect and fix your roof. Don't wait too long because it will be harder to find a roofer to come out early summer for items like this because they will be busy with roofing jobs. If you plan to do this yourself, inspect for missing or broken shingles and tears in rubber roofing and nails sticking up. Preventive maintenance might save you from having to replace underlayment when your next roof job comes up.

Working down your checklist should be cleaning out your gutters. If you're inspecting your roof yourself this is a step you can do at the same time. Clogged gutters will not keep water away from your foundation and facia boards. Cleaning these will help keep your basement dry. Overflowing water will also get between your gutter and facia boards; prematurely deteriorating the facia boards. To eliminate this chore twice a year, you might look into installing gutter guards between now and fall.

If your house is painted you want to patch up flaking paint. Any spots you find should be scraped and painted to keep these flakes from growing and rotting the siding. If you don't have any of your original paint, take a few of the larger chips to a paint store and they can color match it with a paint scanner. If the paint is old take caution to have it tested for lead paint. If you wish to still do it yourself, the state requires you to take a class to learn hazards and what the homeowner can do and can't do.

While you're inspecting your paint look for brittle and missing caulking around Windows, corner boards and door trim. Take a putty knife and scrape out any brittle or cracked caulking and re-caulk. Keep your house sealed from the summer rains and keep down your cooling costs. Electricity like everything else is getting very expensive.

Have your grounds cleared of built-up leaves and branches. This lets new growth be protected from damage or disease. Dethatching your lawn will help uncover bare spots which you can fill with some grass seed. Simple maintenance will keep right your property looking good and will help retain tenants.