It’s that time of year again. Winter is (almost) winding down, and spring is around the corner. Now is the best and most important time to check the safety of your yard. After everything’s been covered up all winter, it’s good to take a keen eye to your entire property and look for hazards – especially if you have kids and pets. At Gillespie, we’re the Handyman in Ottawa to call for help this spring!
First Things First
The most important first step is a complete yard cleanup. Twigs, leaves and other debris have been laying under the snow all winter, so take a rake to everything and get rid of it all. This will help you have a clearer line of sight to issues.
What to Look For
Your yard is uniquely yours, so you may have more or fewer things to check. This is a guideline, but enlisting the services of a handyman in Ottawa to help do this inspection can ensure you’re not missing anything.
Check Your Fences
Or walls. Whatever barrier you have to keep good things in and bad things out needs to be thoroughly inspected. Make sure there are no areas where pets or kids can slip out. Check near the bottom of fences to see if there are spots where your dog has tried to dig out. Go to the other side and check if something has tried to dig in. You may need chicken wire or mesh buried beneath your fence if there’s digging.
If you haven’t had a fence but have recently had a child or gotten a pet, now is the time to consider it. You’ll want to have it up when all the summer fun starts.
Landscaping
Take a good look at all your shrubs and trees. Make a list of any cracked or broken limbs on your trees because these pose a risk and need to come down. It’s a good time to have someone look at your large trees to make sure their roots aren’t going to do damage to your plumbing or foundation.
Look for Water Hazards
And we don’t just mean the obvious one of a pool or hot tub. Clearly, you need all the precautionary measures for those to be in tip-top shape. But how much thought have you given to buckets, potholes and even empty planters? Kids can drown in less than an inch of water. Consider building an outside shed as storage for anything you’re not using. This keeps all potentially dangerous things out of your yard.
Your Driveway
Driveways can take a beating in the winter. Look for potholes or cracks in cement. The sooner you address these issues, the better. Potholes can cause damage to your car, and cracks in cement can turn into larger problems. While you’re at it, check your mailbox and post for damage and repair any you find.
Building Exteriors
Checking everything from the ground up once the snow is gone will give you the chance to spot areas where rodents or other pests might get in. You can look for cracks or gaps around windows, missing roof tiles and other abnormalities. By getting all these small things fixed now, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and money. Once wet and hot weather sets in, you’ll be glad you shored everything up.
Have the Work Done Professionally
Make sure you get all your outdoor maintenance done right the first time. Get a professional handyman in Ottawa to help by calling Gillespie Handyman Services. We’ve got over 15 years of experience and are pros at helping with all your repairs and projects in and around your house and yard.
Contact us here or give us a call at 613-422-0549.