Hopefully by now Spring has sprung where you live! This month we’ve focused the April home maintenance checklist on getting the yard and garden ready for the season.
Lou Manfredini, Ace’s Home Expert, has provided these five things to do to your home in April. Taking care of this list now may help reduce costly repairs or more time spent on completing them in the future. You can also follow the video below to complete these items on your checklist.
1. Make your mower ready for the season. That’s right, get your mower running and ready. This includes sharpening the blade, replacing the spark plug, cleaning or replacing the air filter, changing the oil, cleaning the unit of debris and lubricating moving parts.
If you wish someone could just do it for you, Contact your neighborhood Ace and ask if they offer lawn mower service.
2. Spread new mulch and Preen Your Landscaping. Before you spread the mulch think about any new plants you may want to install. Flowers, bushes and so on. It all depends on where you live but remember the mulch typically is the final dressing. You may also want to apply some weed control product under the mulch to keep things looking great all season long. As for the mulch, there are so many types, colors and brands to choose from. Just remember mulch is like diapers, you always need more. After you’re done, sprinkle some Preen on your mulch, flower beds and landscaping. Preen stops weeds from germinating, saving you time from hand-weeding later.
3. Feed your lawn. This is an essential item on your April home maintenance checklist; strong soil is the foundation of a great lawn. Set your yard for Spring success by adding a soil improver to your yard. Apply Scott’s Foundation to your lawn with your spreader. This product contains natural ingredients that can help reduce soil compaction and boost water retention, which helps improve the soil. Think of this as the multi-vitamin your lawn needs to bulk up for the season.
4. Trimming here, there and everywhere. Early spring trimming of bushes and shrubs with a trimmer will help promote healthy growth and give that shape back to your plants. Take your time and trim back dead branches, shape the plants appropriately but don’t be too aggressive. Step back from the plant to make sure you are not giving it a buzz cut which can take a while to grow back.
5. Get your air conditioning ready. I’m always surprised when I hear from people that don’t get their air conditioner serviced. Making sure your unit is being serviced annually will help you avoid costly repairs and early A/C replacement. If you have central air, you may want to have it serviced. If you use window units, you’ll want to get those out of storage and get them installed.
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