Florida is one of the best areas in America with all of its recreational opportunities. Hopefully, as springtime turns warmer the COVID-19 pandemic will subside and life will begin to return to normal. Although the weather in February by Florida’s flip-flop standards is not the best for outdoor activities, it is a great time to catch up on home repairs with cooler temperatures and lazy, slower days. Football season is coming to an end and it is a little too early for beach days.
If you have the money and time, completing a home repair project in February means more playtime during the summer. Here are my top February home repair projects.
First, have your air conditioning unit serviced and make any necessary repairs in February before summertime, which is the worst time for it to fail. Service calls for most air conditioning repair companies are a little slower in February, and they have the time to really evaluate and service your unit. Plus, service and repair work before a breakdown is normally a lot less costly.
Next, consider having your garage door serviced. Cooler temperatures stress springs as well as other parts of your garage door. Adjusting and lubing a garage door may prevent a failure happening later. Plus, it is a good time to ensure the remotes are working and secured. Do not let a failed garage door ruin a summer night.
Then, cut trees and bushes away from your home’s rooftop and awnings. Hurricane season is rough on your roof, especially if limbs are rubbing against your rooftop. Once again, tree service companies receive less calls in February. This makes it a great time to get ready for thunderstorm season in Florida. Plus, if you are doing the work yourself, it is better to cut limbs in cooler temperatures.
After that, repair a leaking roof. Most people wait to have roof leaks repaired when they are leaking the most, which is during Florida’s long and rainy thunderstorm season. If you have a leaky roof, call your roofer today before he gets busy and have him repair it. Most homeowners are shocked by the amount of damage a small leak can do to their home. February is a great time to have your roof inspected and repaired.
I know the grass looks a little yucky in February, especially this year after a few frosts. February is the best time to get out in the yard and adjust your sprinkler system and make needed repairs. Once more, working in the yard during the month of February is much better than a mid-summer day. Most importantly, having your sprinkler system working properly going into springtime will ensure you have a beautiful lawn for the summer.
Do you feel like spring cleaning? I believe February is one of the best months to pressure wash and clean a house, because the dampness of winter is about to end, and the rainy season of summer has yet to start. This is a great time to wash and kill the mildew off your home’s exterior and allow the warm sunshine of spring to cleanse your home. There is nothing like starting your summer with a beautifully cleaned home.
Finally, if you feel enthusiastic, February is one of the best times of year to paint the exterior of your home. Extremely hot weather like Florida experiences during summertime can create spread and hide issues with some paints, so the moderate temperatures in February produce a better exterior paint job than any other time of year. This takes a little more motivation, but it is well worth it.
February, especially this year during the pandemic, is a great time to do home repairs. That way when summer hits, we can all go out and play!
Don Magruder is the CEO of RoMac Building Supply and host of Around the House, which can be seen at aroundthehouse.tv.