When you move into a new home there are always unknown adventures awaiting. Most are wonderful and exciting, and such a happy bonus to homeownership. Others...well, others make you thankful for family and friends who come to the rescue to help you through! Sometimes when you pull the kitchen cabinet doors off and lay them out on the floor to paint, your dog decides to walk across them and decorate your floor with pretty little painted paw prints. That was my first home, and thankfully that carpet was coming out anyway! Sometimes it's the basement flooding because the sump pump that worked perfectly well during the inspection suddently went out right after you moved in. This was our current home, but it's also why you ask your sellers to give you a home warranty! And sometimes, like yesterday, you invite your parents out to celebrate Mother's Day but then 2 trees you knew were going to have to come down unexpectedly falling. Thankfully your parents still come for dinn...

We're all looking for things to do and ways to keep busy right now, so why not make the best of it and keep working on that Spring maintenance? Yard Things are turning green so make sure your grass has every chance to do the same.  Rake the dead leaves, grass and other stuff out of your yard so it doesn't inhibit new growth.  The raking will also loosen grass that got matted from rain and snow so it greens up more quickly.  It's not quite warm enough to spread grass seed yet (Fall and late Spring are best for that) but  aerating and/or dethatching  can help ensure your soil is ready when it's time. This is also a good time to spread a pre-emergent herbicide.  It won't do anything to kill weeds that are already growing but will prevent weeds that haven't come up yet, so timing is everything.  Make sure to  educate yourself  so it has the best chance at working properly. Deck/patio This one is pretty simple.  Weed in and aro...

Last week we talked indoor Spring prep, so let's move outside the house.  Don't worry, we'll get to the yard next week! Gutters and downspouts You know we're about to get the Spring rains, so cleaning your gutters is probably a no brainer, but here's something to consider, too.  If your gutters and downspouts aren't draining properly, it can cause the wood at your eaves to rot.  Leave the rot unattended long enough and you get holes.  Meaning critters getting into your attic.  Cleaning your gutters is not a fun job, but it really is important to do multiple times a year. Roof and chimney No, I am NOT suggesting that you jump up on your roof and take a walk around!  But you can see a lot from ground level.  Even without getting on a ladder you can look for lose or missing shingles, popped nails and evidence of bowing or sagging and other common problems .  If you see those things, call a professional to see if you need repairs before it gets ...

Can you believe Spring is just around the corner?  In Southeast Indiana you never really know when Spring weather will arrive, but the first day of Spring is March 19, just over 2 weeks away! That means it's time to get your house ready for Spring and all that it brings.  This has the potential to be a LONG post, so I'm going to break it up into several editions.  Since its been so rainy, let's start inside the home and give it a little time to dry up before heading outside next week. Foundation and basement Look for signs of moisture coming into your basement.  With all the rain we've had, this should be a fairly easy task, but please do take it seriously.  After all, the foundation is literally your house's home!  Moisture can be high humidity, cracks and even standing water in older homes.  Cracks tend to start from the bottom up, so look there first for signs of moisture.  While some settling is normal, cracks that look dark usu...