Week 10: March 5, 2023
Welcome to the first full week of March! Warmer weather means more pests, lawn/garden care, and preventative maintenance. It can also mean severe weather mitigation. Last week we continued pest maintenance chores, but if you skipped the step due to cold weather, add it this week. Much of the US got severe weather last week, ranging from once-in-a-lifetime snowfalls to damaging winds and hail. The following week has typical March homeowner tasks, but if your home suffered damage, focus on ensuring the safety of your family, securing your home, and contacting insurance.
Copy and paste each bulleted item into your calendar. Set the recurring task based on the time frame in parentheses (monthly, weekly, etc). The week long schedule is a template to get your started. Set each of the home maintenance tasks on a day that works best for you, or ignore the ones that don't apply to your home.
Sunday:
For the start of this month, begin the day by making a list of important things or homeowner goals to get done by the end of this month. (monthly)
Take pictures of any severe storm damage and contact your insurance right away. Keep receipts for any cleanup supplies or temporary measures such as tarps.
Do your monthly smoke alarm check. Test and check all smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors, replace batteries when needed. If your smoke detector is over 10 years old, replace it. (monthly)
Clear expired food and to-go containers out of the fridge & check your fridge’s temperature, airflow, and inside water filter. (weekly)
Clean gutters and downspouts of any blockages (monthly)
Monday:
Take a break! *
o You can choose a day that is right for you, but a rest day from home maintenance is important to keep from burning out. I choose Mondays because let’s face it, work takes a big chunk out of all of us on Monday.
Tuesday:
Check trees and other shrubs for any winter storm damage. Remove dangerous limbs as soon as possible.
If your home has had recent severe weather, continue checking for ice or water damage outside and inside your home (ongoing)
If your area is anticipating rain in the coming week, consider mulching flower beds this week to reduce runoff. (seasonal)
Remove any debris or leaves from areas around the house, or where they might block the flow of water (seasonal)
Wednesday:
Check your air filters and change as needed. (monthly)
Vacuum out external fridge filter. (monthly)
Weather permitting, check your roof for any signs of wind or rain damage. Pay attention to areas where shingles meet flashing. (seasonal)
If winter weather has passed in your region, clean out your fireplace. Set a reminder for the coming weeks to have it professionally cleaned and/or inspected before next year. (yearly)
Thursday:
Next week is Week 1 of Brush & Bulky item collection in Dallas.
Brush and bulky items may be set out beginning on the Thursday prior to your collection week through Sunday prior to your collection week. Please see the My Schedule app here to find your week and find what items are accepted.
Inspect your sprinkler system. Give it a test run if the last frost has passed, and set the schedule if applicable. (yearly)
Deep clean dishwasher, including cleaning out the filter. (monthly)
Friday:
If you haven’t already, prepare for mowing season by checking your mower or setting up a mowing service.
Empty all trash bins and take the trash bins outside* (weekly)
*Assign this to the day trash is collected at your home.
Saturday:
Continue pest management chores like refreshing bait traps for ants or roaches. (seasonal)
Spray the perimeter of your home with pest control spray. (quarterly)
Continue monitoring your home for signs of emerging termites or carpenter ants (seasonal)
Walk your property to check for ice dams or damage to gutters. Fix it as soon as weather allows.
While you’re outside, check the inside of your dryer vent and outside of your chimney, overhangs and other places an animal might decide to build a nest. (monthly)
Hopefully your maintenance this week is routine and not related to weather damage. Have a safe Week 10, and happy home health!
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