If you only do five routine maintenance tasks for your home during the month of April, here are the ones that we suggest you do, that will help you prepare your home for spring, save energy, and protect your home.
 

April is a good month to begin to prepare your air-conditioning systems for the warmer weather that will be coming later in the season. Why? Because if you wait for warm weather to hit and you find a problem with your AC system, you may find it difficult to schedule a service technician, and if the repair requires new parts, you may have to wait during hot weather for the repairs to be completed.

The following is a list of things that you should do during April to prepare your air-conditioning system:

• if you have covered your outside condenser unit for the winter, then you should uncover it;

• clear debris from around your outside condenser;

• if you've closed the inside air distribution registers for the winter, you should now reopen them;

• change your air filters (see types, costs, and reviews of air filters); and lastly,

• check the water drain for your inside air handler unit to ensure that it is not blocked, and if your unit has a water pump, then be sure that it operates properly when you pour water into it.

For more information about your air conditioning system, you can see our article and video: "Spring Checklist: How Your AC System Works."
 

April is also a good month to do several important routine maintenance tasks for your garage. The first is to sweep dirt and salt out of your garage that has accumulated over the winter. During the winter months, the melting ice and snow from your parked car will deposit dirt and salt onto the floor of your garage. If you don't sweep this out, it will get tracked into your home, where it can do severe damage to your hardware floors and carpeting. So during April, you will want to use a broom (see types, costs, and reviews of garage brooms) or hose to remove all of this dirt and salt from your garage floor (including your doormat).

While you're at it, you should also take the opportunity to lubricate and inspect your garage door and hardware. In particular, you want to pay attention to the springs that help lift the doors. If you notice that any bolts or brackets are coming loose, then you should have someone repair these immediately. These springs are under a lot of tension, and if they snap loose, they can cause severe injuries. And if they have not already been installed, you should consider having safety cables added to your spring.
 

April is also a good time to start your lawn care. Spring lawn care includes: removing fallen branches and accumulated leaves; doing spring pruning of shrubs and bushes (helpful accessory: pruning shears); doing an early spring fertilizer and weed control treatment; starting up your lawnmower to make sure it's running properly; and getting your mower blade sharpened.

For additional information, you can see our video: "Spring Lawn Care Guide: the Do's and Don't’s".
 

April is also a good month to inspect and reinstall your window screens. If you notice any small tears in your screens, they can be repaired using a screen patch kit which can be found at most good hardware stores (see types, costs, and reviews of screen patch kits). However major tears will likely need to be repaired by a professional. While you are installing your screens you should also take the time to inspect and clean your windows and window frames, which may require re-caulking or other repairs.
 

And lastly, April is a good month to prepare your automatic sprinklers for use. Like preparing your central air-conditioning system, it's a good idea to prepare your automatic sprinklers early, rather than waiting until the last minute when your lawn watering needs are higher and contractors are busier.

You can learn more about tips for your automatic sprinkler system in our article and video: "Guide to Automatic Sprinklers".