Spring in Arkansas doesn’t ease
you in, it arrives fast and the humidity is right behind it. After a winter
of temperature swings, freeze-thaw cycles, and months of rain, your home has
taken a beating you may not have noticed yet. As a certified home inspector who
has walked through hundreds of Central Arkansas homes, I can tell you that the
issues we catch in spring almost always trace back to deferred maintenance that
winter quietly made worse.
The good news: most of what I’m
about to walk you through takes an afternoon, not a contractor. Here are the
five things I recommend every homeowner check before the summer heat sets in.
1. HVAC Filter and Condenser Coils
Your HVAC system has been
working hard all winter, and if you haven’t changed the filter since the fall,
now is the time. A clogged filter forces your system to work harder, reduces
air quality, and can cause your unit to overheat when it switches over to
cooling. Pull the filter out and hold it up to a light source, if you can’t
see light through it, replace it.
Beyond the filter, I strongly
recommend having your condenser coils professionally cleaned before the first
hot day. A dirty coil can reduce your system’s efficiency by 20–30%, which
you’ll feel directly in your electric bill. It’s a $75–150 service call that
pays for itself fast. I’ve inspected homes where the coils hadn’t been cleaned
in five years, you wouldn’t believe what accumulates.
2. Gutters and Downspout Extensions
Winter debris like leaves, twigs and shingle grit accumulates in gutters and is one of the most overlooked sources
of water damage I see in this region. Clogged gutters overflow, and that
overflow pools against your foundation. In Central Arkansas, where expansive
clay soils shift with moisture changes, that’s a serious long-term concern.
Clear your gutters and then
walk around the perimeter of your home to check where the downspouts discharge.
Arkansas best practices call for downspout extensions that carry water at least
four feet away from the foundation. If yours are terminating right at the base
of the house, add an extensions. They cost about $10 at any hardware store and
can prevent thousands in crawl space moisture issues.
Inspector’s
note: Poor drainage is the number one cause of wet crawl spaces I find in this
area. It’s almost always fixable for under $50 if caught early.
3. Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
If your home has a crawl space, and many homes in Central Arkansas do, spring is the most important time to
check it. Arkansas humidity arrives quickly in April and May, and an exposed
dirt floor or a damaged vapor barrier can push enough moisture into your crawl
space to grow mold within a matter of weeks.
What to look for:
•
Tears, holes, or gaps in the plastic vapor barrier
•
Edges that have pulled away from the walls (barrier
should overlap walls by at least 6 inches and be secured)
•
Standing water or visible moisture on the ground
•
Any musty odor when you open the access hatch
The most common mistake I see:
homeowners lay a vapor barrier but leave the edges loose or overlapping
incorrectly. Wind movement under the home can fold it back and expose the
ground entirely. If yours is pulled back, reposition and secure it. If it’s badly
damaged, replacement barrier sheeting runs about $50–80 at a home improvement
store.
4. Exterior Caulking and Seals
Do a slow walk around the
outside of your home and look at the caulking around every window frame, door
frame, and exterior penetration that includes hose bibs, dryer vents, cable
entries, and light fixtures. Freeze-thaw cycles crack and shrink caulk over
winter, and what was sealed last fall may be gapping now.
Cracked seals invite two things
you don’t want: water intrusion and insects. A tube of exterior caulk costs
about $5 and takes 20 minutes to apply. This is one of the highest-return
maintenance tasks there is. Pay particular attention to the transition between
your siding and trim, and anywhere two different materials meet, those joints
move with temperature changes and are the first to fail.
5. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
This one gets skipped because
it feels less urgent than the others, but I’m putting it on this list because I
see expired and non-functional detectors in nearly every home I inspect. Test
every unit by pressing the test button and holding it until you hear the alarm.
If it’s slow to sound or doesn’t respond, replace the batteries first, then
test again.
Here’s the part most homeowners
don’t know: smoke detectors have a manufacturer-recommended replacement date,
typically 10 years from the manufacture date (not the installation date). Flip
the unit off the ceiling and check the back, the date is printed there. Carbon
monoxide detectors typically have a shorter lifespan, around 5–7 years. If
yours are past their date, they may still chirp when tested but the sensor
itself degrades over time. Replace them.
One More Thing: Don’t Forget Vegetation Clearance
While you’re outside doing your
walk-around, take note of any shrubs, bushes, or tree branches that are in
contact with your home’s exterior. Vegetation touching your siding, trim, or
roof traps moisture against the surface, accelerates wood rot, and gives
insects a direct path into your home. Best practice is to maintain at least 18
inches of clearance between plants and your foundation or siding.
Spring growth happens fast in
Arkansas. Get ahead of it now before those bushes are pushing against your
dryer vent by June.
Have Questions or Want
a Professional Set of Eyes?
If any of these checks reveal
something you’re not sure about, or if you’d simply like the peace of mind of a
thorough annual maintenance inspection, I’m happy to help. Finer Points Home
Inspections serves Cabot, Austin, Jacksonville, Sherwood, North Little Rock,
Beebe, Ward, Searcy, and surrounding Central Arkansas communities.
Call or text: (501) 438-9791
Email: finerpointsinspection@gmail.com
Website: finerpointshomeinspections.com
Finer Points
Home Inspections — Veteran-Owned | License #HI-2611 | ASHI and Arkansas Standards of
Practice