 This Sunday, the clocks spring forward. You lose an hour of sleep, the evenings get a little longer, and if you're anything like me, you walk outside with your coffee and start noticing things.
A little moss on the walkway. A door that's been dragging since January. A faucet that's been dripping just quietly enough that you've been ignoring it for three months. That is actually the gift of daylight saving time. The extra light has a way of showing you what winter left behind. Over 40 years in and around homes and stone, I've learned that the people who have the smoothest summers are the ones who take a Saturday in March and just walk their house. Not to fix everything at once, but to know what's there. Here's how I'd spend that walk, room by room, inside and out. Start Outside: Know Where Your Shutoffs Are Before anything else, make sure you know where your main water shutoff and gas shutoff are located on your property. I'm not talking about under the sink. I mean the ones that cut everything. If you've never looked, now is the time. If you can't turn them by hand, call someone. In an emergency, that information is worth more than anything else on this list. While you're outside, check your hose bibs, those outdoor faucets. If you shut them off for winter, open them back up slowly and watch for any drips at the connection. A small drip left alone all spring becomes a water bill problem by July. Check Your Water Heater: Tank or Tankless Whether you have a traditional tank or a newer tankless unit, spring is a good time to give it a look. For tank heaters, check the pressure relief valve and look for any rust or mineral buildup around the connections. If the water coming out of your hot tap has been taking longer to heat up than it used to, that's a sign your heater is working harder than it should. For tankless units, check the filter screen if yours has one, as they can clog with sediment over a long winter. When in doubt, pull out the manual (or look up your model number) and give it the annual once-over. These units last a long time when they're cared for. They don't last nearly as long when they're ignored. Change Your Filters Heating and AC filters are one of those things that feel invisible right up until they become a problem. Most filters should be changed every 60 to 90 days, and I'd be willing to bet a lot of you haven't touched yours since fall. Pull it out and hold it up to the light. If you can't see light through it, it's already overdue. A dirty filter makes your system work harder, raises your energy bill, and circulates dust through your home all spring long. Two minutes and a few dollars now saves a service call later. Anywhere There's a Faucet, There's a Screen Here's one most people don't know: every faucet in your home, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, has a small aerator screwed onto the tip of the spout. It's that little cap with a screen inside. Over time, calcium deposits, sediment, and debris collect in there and restrict your water flow. Unscrew it by hand (or with a cloth for grip), rinse out what's inside, and screw it back on. Takes about 30 seconds per faucet. If your water pressure has felt a little weak lately, there's a very good chance this is the fix. Check Every Toilet for a Slow Surge or Run Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank and wait 10 minutes without flushing. If color shows up in the bowl, your flapper is leaking and your toilet is silently running water all day long. A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons a week. Also take a moment to check for any movement at the base of the toilet. If it rocks even slightly, the wax ring seal underneath may be failing, and that's a slow water damage situation waiting to happen. Walk Your Caulking Go around every tub, shower, sink, and window and look at the caulking. You're looking for two things: separation from the surface, and any dark discoloration that signals mold growth inside the bead. Caulk is cheap. Replacing a wall that's been wicking water for six months is not. If a bead has pulled away from the tile or looks like it's seen better days, scrape it clean and re-caulk. It's a 20-minute job that protects a lot. WD-40: Doors, Hinges, and Locks Give every exterior door hinge a shot of WD-40. Winter weather causes hinges to stiffen, and a door that drags or doesn't latch cleanly puts stress on your frame over time. While you're at it, spray the latch and deadbolt mechanism so they move freely. For your key locks, deadbolts especially, skip the WD-40 and use graphite spray instead. WD-40 in a lock barrel will attract dust and gum up the mechanism over time. Graphite is dry and keeps the tumblers moving cleanly so your key doesn't start sticking by August. Clean Your Window Screens and Clear the Cobwebs With the windows about to open for spring, take the screens down and rinse them off with a hose. A clogged screen limits airflow and doesn't do much for the view either. While you're at it, walk the eaves and corners of your house with a broom. Winter cobwebs and wasp beginnings are easier to deal with in March than in June. One Last Thing None of these tasks is complicated. None of them require a contractor. But taken together, they're the difference between a home that runs smoothly through summer and one that hands you a surprise every few months. In our family, we've always said that good maintenance is really just good attention. The homes we've worked in for 40 years, the ones where the stone still looks as good as the day we installed it, are the ones where the owners paid attention. Spring is a good time to start. If you notice something around your stone surfaces, caulking around a countertop, a crack in a hearth, outdoor stone that's shifted, give us a call. That's exactly what we're here for. From our family to yours, enjoy the extra light. Greg Farris GLF Enterprises | Soquel, CA glfenterprisesstone.com
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