HomeTown's Summer season guide for homeowners:

The Spring Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for summer, because as temperatures begin to rise, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the summer.

Spring is invariably a prelude to rising temperatures, regardless of where in Michigan or Northern Ohio you live. It might rain, high winds are more likely and of course rebirth of insects and psts occurs.

Here are ten tips to help you prepare your home for Spring/Summer:

1) Air Conditioning Inspection

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and exterior condensing unit.
• Have a professional duct cleaner clean your entire home duct system every 3-5 years.
• Stock up on furnace filters and change them according to their MERV rating.
• Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
• Remove all growing vegetationfrom the area surrounding your outdoor unit.

2) Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.

• Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from leaving the home and caulk windows.
• Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
• If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
• Switch out winter storms with screens from storage.
  4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.

• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
• Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
• Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment

• Drain gas from lawnmowers.
• Service or tune-up snow blowers.
• Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
• Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
• Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

6) Check Foundations

• Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
• Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
• Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
• Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
• Secure crawlspace entrances.

7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.
• Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector in your master bedroom, main living area and lowest level of the home.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
• Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.
• If you have a second floor purchase a home safety escape ladder and place in closet of upper bedroom.
• Review family escape plans and meeting points, for emergency situations.

8) Prevent Plumbing Freezes

• Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
• Drain all garden hoses.
• Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
• Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
• If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces

• Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
• Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to encourage growth.
• Plant vegetable seeds and/or plants 
• Clean and Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.

Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

10) Prepare an Emergency Kit

• Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
• Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
• Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
• Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
• Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.