Winters—especially this one—are often tough. The freezing cold forces us to stay indoors and by the time things finally thaw out, you may have a lot to deal with when it comes to your outdoor living space. Winds, rain, snow and ice can cause all kinds of damage, bringing down tree branches and leaving stray debris in your yard. Ice can also cause damage on some of your backyard fixtures, as items covered in ice are prone to breaking once the ice expands. Sometimes a heavy snow can also cause water damage on your fence. In other words, winter is kind of a bummer when it comes to making a mess on your property!
However, warmer temperatures will arrive and as you do your spring cleaning inside in the home, remember to create a plan to prepare your outside living area so you, your family and friends can enjoy the outdoors.
Below, we’ll take a look at a few helpful tips for Spring cleaning that will have your yard in great shape to enjoy while the weather is warm, and will make getting ready for Spring cleaning a breeze!
Getting Ready For Spring Cleaning
One of the first tips for spring cleaning is take some large trash bags outside and pick up any debris that winter has left behind in your yard. Even if you’re extremely careful, I recommend wearing gloves to pick up any loose objects that are on the ground. After all, you don’t want to nick yourself on pieces of glass or other sharp objects, even if you think you’re just picking up piles of leaves or sticks.
More tips for Spring cleaning include yard cleaning and garden cleaning. Getting ready for Spring cleaning, if you have a garden, make sure to take time to remove any dead plants so you can make room for new ones. If you have dead vines on your fence, be sure to cut them back to allow for new growth. If you have potted plants from last season, now’s a good time to dump the old soil and think about what you want to plant this year. Once you know that warm weather is here to stay, then it’s time to think about fertilizing your lawn, planting shrubs and sealing your yard with a layer of mulch to inspire growth and make your yard a work of art just in time for summer.
Likewise, if you have a fence, it’s also time to do a bit of spring maintenance, depending on the type of fence you own.
Getting Your Wood Fence Ready for Spring
One of the first things while you’re getting ready for Spring cleaning, once the temperatures warm up, is inspect your fence for any damage. These tips for Spring cleaning can help fix any damage caused by the severe winter weather. This means checking your fence boards for any leaning, warping or rotting, and making sure your posts are structurally sound. Be sure to check the base of your posts to see if there’s any major deterioration as the last thing you need is a visit from some strong spring winds that can cause your fence to blow over.
Spring is also a good time to pressure wash your wood fence (and your deck too!). If you use a pressure washer, make sure to keep it on the light setting—at about 500 to 800 psi so as to not damage the wood. The tips for Spring cleaning we have include, never using hot water to pressure wash your fence as it could damage the wood—especially if you have never sealed it in the past. All of these procedures will help with getting ready for Spring cleaning.
Once you’ve pressure washed your fence, it’s a good idea to seal it to protect the wood from the spring and summer rains. If you’re not sure what type of sealant is best for your fence, we recommend these best deck stains.
Getting Your Vinyl or Aluminum Fence Ready for Spring
Even though vinyl fences and aluminum fences are maintenance free, you still may need to devote a little bit of time hosing it down and buffing it up after a particularly harsh and bitter winter. The good news is that most of the time you can get your fence sparkling clean with just a garden hose sprayer, some dish soap and a few towels—kind of like washing your car! If you find that there’s quite a bit of dirt and grime left on your fence after spraying it down, you can always use some scrubbing pads—I love the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser—to get rid of those tough stains.
Need Your Fence Repaired This Spring?
If you have an existing fence and need some repairs done, be sure to give us a call. In many cases, we can come out and do the fence repair while you’re at work! If you have extensive damage from the harsh winter, then we’ll give you a call to let you know what needs to be done to get your fence in full working order.
Ready for a Fence This Spring?
If you don’t have a fence but are ready to install one in time for the summer season, these tips for Spring cleaning will be instrumental in getting ready for Spring cleaning. Be sure to then contact us today and we’ll gladly have one of our expert fence consultants come out to visit you and provide an estimate for a fence. We offer more than 100 years’ worth of fencing experience and can help you design a fence that will make your outdoor space look like a masterpiece all year round!