Spring has sprung and for many of us, that means shaking off the cabin fever and getting outside. Now that the long, cold winter is over, walk around your home, taking notice of any issues, and make any necessary home repairs.

• Clean out debris (leaves, sticks, etc.) from your gutters and downspouts. Look for any cracks or breaks, and seal them up. Remember, you want rainwater to flow away from your home and foundation. Water near your home can do a lot of damage.

• Seal any small holes around your outside outlets to prevent bugs from crawling into your home; also replace any missing outlet covers.

• Look at your sidewalks, walkways and other concrete areas. If you see any cracks or shifting that occurred over the winter months, spring is the time to make those repairs.

• Replace any cracked boards on your wooden deck or stairs; seal your deck and patio with the appropriate weatherproofing sealant.

• Test smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and replace batteries.

Are you in the market for a custom home or an addition/renovation project? Whether it is something you are planning for in the near future, or 5-10 years away, it’s never too early to get inspired. There are many resources available to generate ideas for your new space, but there may not be a more comprehensive source right now than Houzz.com.

What is Houzz?

Per Wikipedia, “Houzz is a web site and online community about architecture, interior design and decorating, landscape design and home improvement. The Houzz platform and mobile apps feature interior and exterior home photos, articles written by architects, interior designers and home design experts, product recommendations, and a user forum. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Palo Alto, California.”

How to use Houzz

Using Houzz is simple. You start by creating a profile, and from there, you browse and search for photos. As you find the ones that inspire you, add them to your Ideabook. The ideabook is where you can save, organize and file pictures for different rooms or areas you are planning. There are many different ways to search for photos, including by room, contractor (be sure to follow the Metzler page!) or by typing in a specific word or phrase you are looking for. Ideabooks can also be shared with others.

Houzz also provides countless articles on numerous home design topics. Reading these posts is a great way to stay on top of the latest trends and to get inspired with new ideas for your own project.

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The cold weather we’ve had this month gives you an opportunity to tackle some of those inside chores. Do them now so you can enjoy the warmer, springtime weather when it arrives (and it will come).

• Organize your closets. Go through the closets, toy chests and basement and figure out what you are going to keep, what you are going to sell in your spring yard sale and what you will donate. Even if you only do a little bit at a time, you’ll immediately begin to see the rewards of your hard work with all of the space you gain.

• Organize your crafting area and/or workshop. If your fun space is feeling a little out-of-control, take some time to organize it. Buy some bins, jars and/or peg-boards to help you stay organized. You’ll probably find some tools that were misplaced, too.

• Clean the mud room / entry way. This time of the year, the salt, sand and dirt that your family brings into the home can really play havoc on your floors. Take some time to clear the clutter out of the mudroom and give your floors a thorough cleaning.

• Clean the inside of your windows. After the cold, gray winter we’ve had, we all want to be able to enjoy as much natural light as possible.

• Clear out the “junk drawer.” Every house has at least one, so take a few minutes and clear it out. You may be surprised what you find and what you kept that you no longer need.

Get other home tips here .

Last year WGAL ran this“8 On Your Side” story about ice damming and featured our friend and 2014 BIA president, Phil Eby, of Eby Exteriors, Inc. In the online article, Phil mentioned that ice damming, in fact, is the number one problem home exteriors face during winter.

Unfortunately, homeowners typically only realize they have a problem when they see water stains on ceilings and walls.

Phil explained how ice damming occurs: “The warm air from your attic melts the snow on your roof, the water runs down to your eaves and there, the snow isn’t melted because it’s cold and it creates a backup. It gets down there and freezes, hits the gutter and creates a dam.”

The best thing homeowners can do now, when it is still extremely cold outside, is to make sure that downspouts aren’t covered with snow, ice and debris. If you suspect an issue with your gutters or downspouts, please do not attempt to handle it yourself in these slippery conditions. Call an expert who can diagnose and resolve any problems.

NOTE: Image courtesy of WGAL.

January is an excellent time of the year to look at some of those items within the house that you may not think about too often. This is the focus of our January Home Maintenance Checklist.

• Clean bathroom drains – This is never a fun job, but keeping your drains running free and clear of gunk and hair will prevent back-ups and also reduce the growth of mold and mildew within your pipes.
• Water filters – With Lancaster County’s hard water, many homes have at least one water filter, if not more. Now is the time to replace all of those filters – on your refrigerator, under the sink or the whole house – to keep your water tasting (and feeling) clean. Also, if you use a water pitcher filter, like Brita®, now is a good time to replace that, too.
• Organize the closets and other storage areas – Before you put away those holiday decorations, now is the ideal time to go through them. Purge what you won’t use by throwing out broken items and donating others. While you are at it, go through your closets and do the same with your clothes and linens. (Linens are often accepted at local animal shelters.) Make January the month that you de-clutter your home.
• Compile or update your home inventory – While this isn’t the most pleasant job, it is a necessary one. You’ll want a fairly detailed list of your belongings in case of a fire, theft or natural disaster. Use the video mode on your phone to document the rooms and outside of your home, and then the camera mode to take pictures of individual items. Focus on one room at a time, and you’ll get it done. Make sure you store your inventory in a safe deposit box, fireproof safe or on the “cloud” so you have it, if you need it. Make this an annual event.
• Monitor snow and ice to prevent furnace shutdowns – If you heat your home with a natural gas furnace, you probably have two pipes that lead to the outside of your house. One is an “intake” pipe that brings fresh air into your furnace, which is needed for combustion. The other is an “outtake pipe” that pushes warmer air outside. When the warm, moist air hits the cold air outside, it can freeze, and over time it could clog up your pipe – causing your furnace to shut down. Monitor the pipes and knock the ice chunks off regularly. This will allow air to flow in and out of your furnace, and is an easy fix to avoid a major catastrophe.

Get other home tips on our blog.