As spring approaches there are a few steps you can take to ensure your home serves you well through the coming months. Please take the time to check these items in and around your home and work on any that need attention. Clean and test smoke alarms. Check the fit of exterior doors. The thresholds are adjustable – you can use a flat head screwdriver to turn the screws and lower the threshold. Have licensed HVAC Contractor perform seasonal maintenance checkup for summer.  Ensure that air supply registers are not blocked by rugs, draperies, and furniture. Adjust dampers if necessary. Check sprinkler heads for damage and adjust for full coverage.  Verify they are not spraying the house or causing puddles to form near the foundation.  Adjust if necessary. Flush the irrigation lines. Find the end cap and briefly run the system to flush out debris. Check valve boxes for debris buildup or muddy conditions indicating poor drainage. Visually inspect roof from the ground for loose or missing shingles or roof tiles.  Contact Roofing Contractor should repairs be required.  Inspect roof penetrations such as air vents for proper mastic, caulking, flashing, and seals. While you are on the roof, clean out the gutters. If performing any landscaping, remember to maintain a slope AWAY from your homes foundation. Re-direct water around your home using proper grading. Damage to your homes structure due to improper grading is not covered by new home warranties. Spend a sunny afternoon and clean up dead foliage and/or tree branches from your lawn and garden beds. Winter storms can leave branches, leaves and other tree debris. Clean any existing weeds out of flower beds and check your lawn for any weed growth. Once you are clear of weeds- you should plan on spending 10-15 minutes a few times a week to keep new weed growth out of your gardens. Fertilizing your grass, shrubs and flowers now will make sure that anything you want to thrive this season will. The same goes for flower beds and shrubs.  If you plan on fertilizing herbs and/or vegetables that you will use for cooking, consider using an organic fertilizer that is free of pesticides. A fresh layer of mulch can take any flower bed from drab and dreary to beautiful.  Professional landscapers typically suggest about 4 inches of mulch on top of any soil in order to prevent weeds and help plants retain moisture. Make sure to pull the mulch around the base of all plants and shrubs as this will help keep moisture around the root ball. One final note – just because the calendar says spring does not mean that the cold weather is over. There can still be cold temperatures as late as March or April. Be sure that your landscaping does not include anything that cold weather can ruin. Visit our website at www.Renaissance-Homes.com to view floorplans and design your dream home. Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building for the Portland and Seattle markets.