6 DIY Suggestions for Sprucing Up Your Home for Spring

Posted on May 7, 2018

The warmer, longer days of spring mean you can finally get out and enjoy time in the yard again. However, before you start playing with pets or planning BBQs, you’ll want to take care of some spring maintenance projects around your house. Keep reading for the six spots you need to take care of to keep your kids and pets safe outdoors now that spring is here.

Refresh and Maintain Your Yard

Yards can get pretty yucky in the winter. You’ll want to rake up any leaves or debris, including pet waste, to get a start on cleaning it up. Next, treat any unsightly patches in your grass with a natural, non-chemical fertilizer to promote growth. When using ingredients that may be irritating to paws and hands, make sure you wear gloves and keep your pets off the grass until it dries. Think about putting a sign up to let neighbors know they should keep their pets off your yard to avoid issues.

Replace Harmful Weeds with Non-Toxic Plants

If it’s feeling like spring, your yard is likely coming to life. Unfortunately, you may notice more weeds popping up. Aside from damaging plants and being unsightly, weeds can contain harmful stickers, thorns, and toxins that can cause illness and injuries in pets. Pull out those weeds and replace them with pretty, purposeful plants. Kids and pets tend to put everything in their mouths, so think about choosing plants that are non-toxic to keep your family safe.

Inspect Your Roof

Heavy snows and rains in winter can wreak havoc on your roof, so get out the ladder and get up there to check for any damage. Carefully look for sagging spots, missing shingles, or holes. Smaller issues, like missing shingles, are pretty simple to tackle on your own with a few nails and a trusty hammer. You can also take care of other repairs, or at least create temporary solutions until you are able to consult a licensed contractor for repairs or replacement.

Give Your Trees a Check-Up

Cold weather and wetness is not very friendly towards trees. Dead branches or root damage can lead to dropping branches or even entire trees falling. A direct hit from a fallen tree can do some major damage to the roof, walls, and frame of your house. Falling branches and trees can also cause serious injuries to your family. You can trim loose branches yourself, with a ladder and saw. If you suspect a root problem, try a few tricks before calling in a professional.

Clean Out Gutters and Firepits

With falling leaves and toasty fires comes build-up in firepits and gutters. Leaving debris in gutters can cause water to build up on the roof of your house or damage to your drainage system. Get out some gloves and your ladder to remove dead leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts before they become a major problem. Now is a good time to clean out the firepits as well. Remove any ash or debris from your firepit, to get it clean and ready for those spring/summer backyard camping trips.

Get Rid of Insects and Pests

During the winter, insects and pests such as mice like to seek shelter from the cold. Unfortunately, they tend to end up hiding out around your house and yard. Rodents can carry disease while insects such as fleas and mosquitos can cause painful stings or even transmit infections to animals. Cleaning up your yard will help deter pests from lingering too long. Make sure you dump any standing water to avoid breeding mosquitoes. There are also tons of pet-friendly, natural pest control combinations you can whip up in your own kitchen.

The safety of your family is always your top priority. You can prevent injuries and health problems in people and pets while perking up your yard with these easy DIY projects. So take care of your house before you take to your outdoor activities to make your time outside full of carefree, relaxing fun.