Early Spring Projects To Tackle Around the House

With a chill still in the air, you’re probably thinking about spring projects to dive into before you can launch into proper lawncare and garden planting. With milder temperatures on the way, this is a perfect weekend to tackle some lingering indoor and outdoor jobs. Here are a few projects that are perfect for this time of year.

Painting

This weekend is looking cool, which means it’s a great time to give the rooms inside your home an instant facelift with a coat of fresh paint. This job is great for this kind of weather because you can open up the windows to let the paint dry quickly, so long as it stays dry outside. If you’re wondering what’s on-trend this year, Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year is a soothing blue-green called Aegean Teal 2136-40 while Sherwin-Williams has opted for a warm, earthy gray called Urbane Bronze SW 7048

Yard Pick Up

With so many recent windy nights, your yard is bound to have sticks and fallen debris to take care of. It’s a rotten task but with a little early spring maintenance, you’ll be able to pick up what’s been left from winter and give the lawn a good thatching. Invest in an ergonomic rake so you don’t hurt your back and shoulders and consider composting to enjoy beautiful soil for flower and vegetable planting. 

Mulching

While it’s still a little early, it looks like winter weather is behind us so there is no reason to not get started on those beds now. Be sure to rake first and consider a weed treatment of your choice before you pick up your mulch. If you need some delivered, just give me a call. 

Wood Floor Treatment

If your floors are looking a bit dull, brighten them up by giving them a light sanding and a few coats of polyurethane. Wood can be tough to maintain because it’s used and abused so often, but if you have a maintenance schedule that you stick to every few years, you’ll not only keep them looking great, you’ll also lengthen their lifecycle. Keep those floors shining by putting felt pads on furniture legs and avoid any cleaners with ammonia, vinegar or harsh chemicals.

Deck Staining

Make sure no rain is in the forecast, as you’ll want a few sunny days to ensure your stain dries properly. Sweep or blow any leaves and pesky whirlybirds from the surface, cracks and crevasses of the deck. Apply cleaner or use a power washer to get rid of any mold and mildew and tighten up loose nails or screws. Always apply stain on a dry surface in thin coats to get the best result.

Do you have a weekend project that you’re tackling while it’s still cool? I’d love to hear about it. Send me a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/odonnellbros.

 Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Start Spring Yard Work Early for Easy Clean-Up

With a beautiful start to March, now is a great time to get ahead in the yard and spread your spring to-do list across a few mild weekends. Assuming that a late winter storm doesn’t try to catch us by surprise, here is a handy to-do list to keep you busy as the weather warms up. 

If you didn’t clean out your beds in the autumn, now is the time to do it. Cut back any dead debris right down to the ground and prune any shrubs or trees that are overgrown or have been damaged by winter. It’s a lot easier to do this now before buds and leaves come and make it more difficult to see what you’re cutting. With that being said, don’t start chopping away at spring bloomers until the buds have formed. If you’re worried about weeds, now is a good time to lay down your landscaper's fabric and mulch new beds. Just be careful to leave space for the plants that you want to come through. 

Don’t let those dead leaves and plant debris go to waste. You can fence off a small area for composting or purchase a tumbler. All that easy to break down yard waste and future food scraps will make fantastic soil for later spring and summer planting. 

If you didn’t reseed your lawn in the fall, it’s not too late. Start by raking up any leaves and branches that have been left behind. Raking also acts as a massage for the ground as it allows oxygen to circulate. I always take it one step further and use an aerator to break up tough, cold soil which gives grass seeds the best chance for survival. Finally, reseed and fertilize to keep hungry birds away.  

Last year was really tough for me in the crabgrass department, so this year I’ll be sure to use a pre-emergent to keep weeds at bay. Just make sure you take the proper precautions and don’t apply it near your new grass seedlings as it will kill them off instantly.

Hardy veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are best for early planting, as the same goes for peas as long as the ground is fully thawed. Spinach and lettuces are pretty tough too and can generally be put right into the ground in March if, of course, the weather cooperates. 

Finally, it’s too early now, but soon it will be time to start mowing. I always recommend setting the blade as high as it will go, especially if you’ve recently reseeded. It’s always smart to tread lightly in the first few weeks to make sure that grass has time to probably root and get comfortable. Go too short too fast, and you’ll have a complicated relationship with your yard for the whole rest of the season. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Rain Means Basement Leaks Abound in Spring

Winter and spring are the times when homeowners find that a leak has sprung in their house. During the colder months of December, January, and February, it’s generally the roof that’s a worry. But as March hits and spring starts to edge closer, the basement takes centerstage. 

As the temperature warms, residual snow melts, the rain becomes more frequent, and the ground gets saturated with water. This water can find its way into the basement through non-structural cracks in poured concrete walls or deteriorated joints in masonry walls. Poorly fitted or old basement windows can also let water in, as well as utility openings. 

The best line of defense against a wet basement is to make sure that the water is directed away from the foundation. Inspect your gutters and downspouts to see if they are flushing out the way they should be and also check to see that the ground right around the house is higher than the rest of the yard. Having the yard grade at its highest around the perimeter of the foundation will ensure water drains away from the house instead of into it.  

If you think your home is susceptible to leaks, you can also use a waterproofing membrane or coating to seal the foundation or basement area. However, if you have regular leaking problems, you may need to have a drainage or sump pump system installed by a professional. 

Even if you don’t have a leak problem, the basement can get pretty damp in the springtime which creates the perfect environment for nasty mold and mildew. To get rid of the excess water, I always like to run a dehumidifier in the basement as the weather warms up. 

A dehumidifier works by pulling the moisture out of the air and storing the excess water in a holding tank. Many people keep dehumidifiers in their basement all year long to control the dampness that can often be felt in underground areas, but I find it especially useful this time of year. You can find out if your basement is holding a lot of moisture by purchasing a simple five-dollar humidity gauge from the local hardware store. Ideally, you want the humidity to be under 50%. 

One last word of advice - if you have a dehumidifier or plan on getting one, please be sure to empty it regularly and keep the filter clean. A simple wipe down with a damp cloth and spray bottle will do the trick to keep you breathing freely and ensure a longer life for the appliance.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.