Kansas City winters are rough on a house. All that freeze and thaw works at every crack, joint, and seam until something gives. Spring is the season for finding what winter quietly broke and fixing it before the spring storms turn a small problem into a flooded basement.
Here is the spring walkthrough I do for KC homeowners. It pairs with the fall list, and between the two your house stays ahead of the weather instead of chasing it.
Find the freeze damage first
- Inspect for winter damage. Cracked caulk, new foundation gaps, damaged shingles, and gutter damage all show up after a hard KC winter. Catch them now while they are cheap.
- Test your outdoor faucets carefully. When you turn an exterior spigot back on, watch for a leak inside the wall. If water runs inside when the faucet is open, that is a freeze crack. Shut it off and call before you flood a wall cavity.
- Re caulk and seal the gaps that freeze thaw opened up around windows, doors, and siding.
Get ready for spring storms
- Test the sump pump before the rains. KC gets heavy spring storms. Pour a bucket of water into the pit and confirm the pump kicks on and clears it. A dead sump pump is the difference between a dry basement and a very bad weekend.
- Clear gutters and downspouts of winter debris and make sure water drains away from the foundation, not toward it.
- Re hang or repair screens and check that windows and doors open and close cleanly after the cold season swelled and shrank everything.
Prep the outdoor living space
- Service the AC and replace filters before the summer heat. I handle filters, condensate drain clearing, and basic checks. Full AC service is a licensed HVAC tech, covered on my HVAC filters and checkups page.
- Check decks, fences, and railings for winter rot or loosening, and re stain or seal the deck before the sun bakes it all summer.
The sneakiest spring problem in KC is the freeze cracked outdoor faucet. Everything looks fine until you turn it on in April and water quietly pours inside the wall. Test every exterior spigot with someone watching the inside, and shut it down the second you see a drip.
Hand me the whole list
Spring maintenance is exactly the kind of mixed bag, a little plumbing, a little sealing, a deck once over, that is perfect to bundle into one visit. Send me your list and I will work through it before the first big storm rolls in off the plains.