The Boardman Homeowner's Spring Cleaning Checklist (Outside Edition)

If you've lived in northeastern Ohio for any length of time, you know what winter does to a house. Months of road salt, ice, freeze-thaw cycles, and heavy snowfall take a real toll on your home's exterior — and most of the damage hides in plain sight until spring reveals it.

Getting ahead of the mess in April and May means fewer repairs, better curb appeal, and a home that's protected going into the humid Ohio summer. Here's a room-by-room (or surface-by-surface) checklist to work through once the weather breaks.

🏠 Roof

• Look for missing or lifted shingles — freeze-thaw cycles pop shingles loose, especially on older roofs. Grab binoculars and scan from the ground.
• Check flashing around chimneys and vents — this is where most leaks originate. Look for gaps, rust, or separation.
• Inspect for algae or moss growth — dark streaks or green patches mean biological growth is underway. Don't ignore it.
• Clear debris from valleys — leaves and debris in roof valleys hold moisture and accelerate rot in the decking underneath.

🌿 Gutters

• Clean out debris — a winter's worth of leaves, twigs, and seedpods fills gutters fast. Clogged gutters overflow and route water straight to your foundation.
• Check for sags and separations — gutters loosen from fascia boards over winter from ice weight. Look for sections pulling away from the house.
• Flush downspouts — run a hose through them to confirm water flows freely and outlets are directing water at least 4–6 feet from the foundation.
• Look for rust streaks on siding below gutters — this indicates overflow and points to a clog somewhere upstream.

🏗️ Siding & Exterior Walls

• Walk the perimeter — look for cracked caulk around windows, doors, and penetrations. Damaged caulk lets moisture in behind the siding.
• Check for mold and mildew growth — north-facing and shaded walls are most vulnerable. A green or black tint to the siding means biological growth.
• Soft wash the siding — removes road salt residue, pollen, mold, and winter grime without the risk of forcing water behind panels the way high-pressure washing can.
• Look for warped or cracked sections — vinyl siding can warp from ice damage; fiber cement can crack; wood siding can split at seams.

🚗 Driveway & Walkways

• Inspect for new cracks — freeze-thaw cycles expand existing hairline cracks. Small cracks are a $20 tube of concrete caulk; left alone, they become $2,000 driveway replacements.
• Power wash the surface — remove salt staining, oil, and biological growth. Concrete and asphalt handle high-pressure washing fine; use appropriate pressure for the surface type.
• Seal concrete driveways — sealing in spring, after a thorough cleaning, dramatically extends driveway life against next winter's salt damage.
• Check expansion joints — make sure they're free of debris and the filler material is intact.

🪟 Windows

• Check seals on double-pane windows — fogging or condensation between panes means the gas seal has failed and the pane needs replacement.
• Clean frames and tracks — salt and grime accumulate in window tracks over winter and cause premature wear on seals and hardware.
• Wash the glass — road salt and hard water from winter precipitation leaves a film that ordinary cleaning doesn't remove. Professional window cleaning uses purified water and squeegees to eliminate streaks.
• Check weatherstripping — damaged weatherstripping wastes energy all summer on A/C. Replace any sections that are cracked, compressed, or missing.

🌳 Deck & Patio

• Test wood deck boards for rot — press a screwdriver into boards, especially near ledger boards and post bases. If it sinks in easily, the board needs replacement.
• Check deck hardware — look for popped fasteners, wobbly railings, and any structural connections that may have shifted over winter.
• Soft wash the deck surface — high-pressure washing damages wood grain and accelerates splitting and splintering. Low pressure plus the right cleaning solution is the correct approach.
• Re-seal or re-stain if needed — wood decks in Ohio should be sealed every 1–3 years. If water no longer beads on the surface, it's time.

What to Call a Pro For

Be realistic about what's genuinely DIY and what isn't. A few things that consistently cause homeowners trouble when they attempt them without experience:

• Roof cleaning — wrong technique damages shingles; wrong chemistry burns landscaping; wrong footing is a trip to the ER
• Gutter cleaning on multi-story homes — ladder safety on two-story homes is no joke, especially on soft spring ground
• Window cleaning above the first floor — streak-free results at height require the right equipment and technique
• Pressure washing siding — too much pressure forces water behind panels into your wall cavity

We handle all of the above. If your spring checklist feels overwhelming, call us and we'll knock out the exterior in one visit — roof, gutters, siding, driveway, windows. One call, one schedule, done.