Spring is the perfect time to take care of your home and prepare for the summer heat
2024.04.07
With the temperature outside warming up rapidly, experts remind us that spring is the perfect time to take care of your home, repair defects that have appeared over the winter and prepare for the summer heat. Arūnas Armanavičius, Head of Building Administration at Civinity Namai, a company involved in the maintenance and administration of apartment buildings, tells us what works are recommended to be done at home in spring.
Inspect windows, doors and radiators at the end of the heating season
The heating season usually ends when the outside air temperature is above 10 degrees for three consecutive days. Last year it ended on 12-13 April. According to Armanavičius, it is important to carry out certain tasks at home after the end of the heating season, including inspecting the radiators in the house.
“At the end of the heating season, inspect the radiators to make sure there are no leaks, which usually indicate radiator faults. We recommend getting them fixed over the summer to avoid having to do it in a hurry before the new heating season. Summer is also the best time to replace radiators. Residents wishing to do so should contact their building manager, who will help them find the best solution for their needs and technical characteristics,” says Civinity Namai.
During the winter, windows and doors can become warped from the cold and may develop gaps that let in more heat than they should in the summer. It is therefore recommended to check the windows in both flats and stairwells at the end of winter and adjust or replace them if necessary.
“If you have extra sealing during the heating season, remove the extra sealing material when spring arrives. This is important for easier ventilation when the windows are open and for the aesthetic appearance of the windows,” says Armanavičius.
Keep the air in your home clean
During the heating season, less ventilation normally increases the humidity level in the home, which can lead to mould in the corners of walls and window frames. Mould can cause respiratory problems, allergic reactions and asthma exacerbations, so if you see the first signs of mould in your home, you need to make sure it is cleaned.
To breathe fresh air in the home, it is ventilated through the ventilation system in the apartment building. The ventilation ducts need to be taken care of regularly because over time dust, harmful micro-organisms and bacteria start to accumulate in the exhaust air.
“This is particularly important in spring, because during the heating season we keep our houses tighter and less ventilated, which leads to more dust accumulating and settling on various surfaces. For this reason, it is recommended to take care of the ventilation grilles in the apartment and to clean the dust and cobwebs that accumulate on them,” recommends a Civinity Namai specialist.
Make sure you install the air conditioner before the heat
According to the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service, over the last 60 years, the number of days in Lithuania when the air temperature is above 25 degrees during the day and below 20 degrees at night has increased significantly. The likelihood of recurrence of severe heat is expected to continue to increase in the future.
It is therefore important to ensure that homes are not only properly ventilated but also air-conditioned. According to Armanavičius, the best protection against excessive heat is a home air conditioner, which is recommended to be installed before a heat wave, when, as the demand for them increases, many people are faced with a shortage of professionals who can install them.
“Residents of apartment buildings should be aware that the attachment of the external air conditioning unit to the facade of the building requires the approval of the majority of the owners of the apartment building and the permission of the municipality to carry out simple repairs to the building. These documents are not necessary if the outdoor unit is not mounted on the wall of the apartment building, but rather on the floor of a balcony, for example,” advises Civinity Namai.
Don’t forget the roof and guttering
It is also advisable to inspect the roof of the house in spring, as snow and ice accumulated over the winter may have damaged the coating. If you notice any defects in the roof covering, you should repair them immediately.
The house’s rainwater drainage system should not be neglected either, as the gutters accumulate various debris during the winter and clog the system. As the warm season approaches and the number of rainy days increases, an uncleaned storm drainage system poses a risk of flooding indoors.
According to Mr Armanavičius, the roof and rainwater drainage system of apartment blocks maintained by the administrator are inspected every spring by the responsible maintenance engineer. If the apartment block is maintained by a community or by the residents themselves, the owners of the apartments should take care of the roof inspection themselves.