Each spring, outdoor yard cleanup at our house can be described in just one word: leaves. Gajillions of them.
They’re all over, stacked along fence lines, cluttering up corners and invading plant beds. Luckily, my sons Matt, 16, and Adam, 14, and I team up to rake, bag and cart them to the curb. Each spring, it usually takes us the good part of three or four weekends.
Remove leaves
Ed Innella agrees that I’m a lucky guy. Innella–who with partner Jay DeFeo has owned and operated a Glen Head, N.Y., residential and commercial landscape design and maintenance business for 18 years–says with more homeowners investing time and money in larger outdoor living spaces that can include pools and kitchens, Innella says spring yard cleanups require more time, more manpower and more equipment than ever.
Many homeowners can’t rely on family manpower alone. And many find it difficult to find a reliable landscaper who is licensed and insured and will do the job correctly.
Innella says a homeowner should expect to pay between $28 and $38 an hour for each worker assigned to the cleanup. In addition, landscapers also face dumping charges for debris and leaves.
“Get the estimates,” Innella says. “At least two. And specify exactly what you want done. If it’s tree-trimming and mulching planting beds, be sure to tell them.”
As for recommendations, Innella says if a friend or neighbor can’t help, try getting one from a nearby garden center or landscape supply yard.
After finishing with leaves and such, here are more spring tasks that should be priorities.
Tune power equipment
A few small maintenance steps before or after each season can keep your small-engine lawn and garden equipment running smoothly for years. Scheduling power equipment for regular tune-ups is a good first step. As a rule of thumb, my two major pieces of outdoor power equipment–a walk-behind mower and a snow thrower–are tuned up every other year. Figure on paying at least $65 to $75 for each item.
You can do some of the work yourself. With mowers and other light equipment, basic tasks include replacing spark plugs and air filters, tightening loose screws and bolts on handles and sharpening blades. The owner’s manual should provide instructions. For the mower, consider sharpening the blade at least twice during the cutting season. Your local hardware store should be able to do that for you.
If you have a snow thrower, before storing, drain the fuel from its tank. If you can’t easily disconnect the fuel line and reuse the fuel in the mower, line trimmer or edger, run the thrower until the tank is empty. Wait a few minutes. Reprime the engine and restart the thrower to remove any fuel that might have settled in the line.
Tools needed: Socket wrenches, pliers, screwdriver, spark-plug gapping tool.
Tip: Before working on equipment, detach the spark plug wire. If you want to keep gas in the tank during the off-season, use a few drops of a fuel stabilizer. After adding the correct amount of stabilizer to the tank, be sure to run the engine for several minutes. The stabilizer prevents fuel from “gumming up.” Guidelines for power equipment maintenance can be found online at the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, www.mow.org.
Get out the caulk
The expansion and contraction of trim and molding creates large gaps and cracks that can be a source of interior water leaks and drafts.
To reseal these gaps, use a paintable caulk rated for exterior use. Before caulking, clean the area from dirt, debris and old, worn caulk.
Basically, manufacturers offer two types of caulks: all-purpose acrylics or latex-based, and solvent-based. Acrylics clean up with soap and water and are almost always paintable. Although they can dry out, many have 25-year warranties. Silicone products, which make up a large portion of the specialty market, often have longer life-spans and are used around tubs, shower pans and other “wet” areas.
Tools needed: Caulk gun, caulk smoothing/removing tool, tubes of paintable caulk, masking tape, damp rags.
Tip: No-mess caulking can take years of practice. But the real trick is to avoid being intimidated. Caulk is inexpensive, and cleanup often is simply washing with soap and water. Inexperienced caulkers can use strips of masking tape to achieve a neat, clean finish. Because caulk is applied mostly to seal a gap where two pieces meet, use the tape to isolate the gap. Place one strip of tape about 1/16 inch from the gap along the edge of one piece. Place another strip about the same distance from the gap on the facing piece. Work slowly and apply a thin bead of caulk into the gap and between the two pieces of tape. To finish, moisten your index finger and run it over the bead of caulk. When the caulk dries, remove each strip of tape. How-to instructions and tips are available at www.reddevil.com or www.dap.com.
Clean air conditioners
Air conditioners usually require some maintenance to run more efficiently. On central systems, some components–evaporator or condenser coils and compressors–are located outdoors on concrete bases. Removing dirt, grime, dust and leaves from around the concrete and inside the body of the unit should be a common practice. This will improve air flow and increase efficiency. Also, rinse off and straighten the aluminum fins that surround the unit. Dust, airborne foliage and grass clippings can restrict air flow through the fins. A fin comb, available at heating and cooling supply outlets and home centers, straightens bent fins.
The comb also works on the damaged fins of portable units. But these smaller appliances often need only a new or clean filter to improve efficiency. Made of a sponge-like foam, filters rest behind the front grille and should be replaced or cleaned monthly. To clean, remove the filter and soak in warm, soapy water. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with a towel or cloth. Replacement filters, made from plastic electrostatic mesh, are available at home centers and hardware stores. If an exact fit is not available, use the old filter as a pattern to cut a new one.
Also, a shop-style vacuum and a brush accessory can be used to remove dust and dirt from warm and cold coils at the front and rear of the unit and on the fan blades. A reservoir, located at the front of the unit and used to collect and remove condensed water, can get grimy. If not cleaned, grime from the reservoir can clog the drain, forcing indoor water leaks. Clean fan blades and reservoir with a damp cloth and warm, soapy water.
Tools needed: Dish soap, warm water, shop vacuum, replacement filter, fin comb.
Tip: Before cleaning or working on any unit, unplug portable types and turn off the power at the circuit breaker on central-air models.
Regrade soil
Examine the ground next to the foundation walls. Low spots, which can be a source of basement leaks, mean it’s time to regrade. The project is simple but labor-intensive: Grade soil so it slopes away from the foundation. If the depth of the soil is more than 3 to 4 inches, mix in some grass seed. In a few weeks, the graded soil will blend with the grass.
Tools needed: Wheelbarrow, shovel, lawn roller, rake, grass seed and top soil.
Tip: Measure the areas that need to be graded (length of foundation wall, width of area from foundation wall and depth of soil in inches). Provide this information to a landscape supply company, and you should be able to estimate in cubic yards the amount of top soil needed. For example, to regrade with 6 inches of new soil in a 6-foot-wide area against a foundation wall that is 12 feet long requires about 36 cubic feet of top soil.
