Illinois winters are brutal on homes. After months of freezing temps, snow, ice, and wind, your Yorkville or Oswego home has taken a beating. Spring is the perfect time to catch small problems before they become expensive repairs. Here's your essential checklist.
Exterior Checklist
1. Inspect Your Deck
Check for loose boards, wobbly railings, and peeling stain. Yorkville's freeze-thaw cycles are hard on decks. Catching a rotting board now saves you from a full deck replacement later. Holland Fix-It-All handles deck repair, staining, and pressure washing.
2. Check Gutters & Downspouts
Clear debris from winter, check for sagging or loose brackets, and make sure downspouts direct water away from your foundation.
3. Inspect Siding & Trim
Look for cracks, gaps, or loose pieces. Water getting behind siding leads to mold and rot.
4. Pressure Wash Driveway & Walkways
Road salt and winter grime build up fast in Kendall County. A good pressure wash protects concrete and makes your home look sharp.
5. Check Exterior Caulking
Windows, doors, and where siding meets trim — re-caulk any cracked or missing sealant to keep water and bugs out.
Interior Checklist
6. Test Smoke & CO Detectors
Replace batteries and test every detector. This takes five minutes and could save your family's life.
7. Check for Plumbing Leaks
Look under every sink, around toilets, and near the water heater. Even a small drip wastes water and leads to mold. We fix leaks, replace faucets, and install new fixtures.
8. Inspect Windows & Doors
Check weather stripping and seals. Drafty windows mean your AC works overtime all summer. Replacing worn weather stripping is cheap and pays for itself in energy savings.
9. Service Your HVAC
Change filters, clear the area around your outdoor unit, and schedule a professional tune-up before summer.
10. Check Ceiling Fans
Switch fan direction to counter-clockwise for summer (pushes air down). If any fans wobble or make noise, it might be time for a replacement. We install and replace ceiling fans throughout Yorkville and Oswego.
Bathroom & Kitchen
11. Re-Caulk Tubs & Showers
Old, cracked caulk lets water seep behind tiles and walls. Re-caulking is one of the cheapest ways to prevent expensive water damage.
12. Check Under Sinks
Look for water stains, drips, or soft spots in the cabinet floor. Catch a slow leak now before it ruins your cabinets.
13. Test Garbage Disposal
Run it with water to check for unusual sounds or slow drainage. A worn disposal is an easy swap.
Safety & Electrical
14. Test GFCI Outlets
Press the test and reset buttons on outlets near water (kitchen, bathrooms, garage). If they don't trip properly, they need replacement.
15. Check Outdoor Outlets & Lights
Make sure exterior outlets work and have weatherproof covers. Replace any burnt-out exterior lights — good lighting deters break-ins.
Can't Tackle the List Yourself?
That's literally what we're here for. Holland Fix-It-All can knock out your entire spring maintenance list in one visit — deck, caulking, ceiling fans, plumbing checks, painting touch-ups, whatever needs doing.
Call Steve at (630) 360-8308 or request a free estimate. Serving Yorkville, Oswego, and all of Kendall County, IL.