Spring Inspection: 7 Things to Check on Your Home Before the Blessed Warmth Arrives (Edmonton Edition)

Giving your home a DIY Spring Inspection during the freeze/thaw cycle is uniquely useful for saving you big money overall.

Hey folks, Darren here from Darren Does That! You know that Edmonton ugly spring? Where the streets go from a soaking mud pits in the evening to skating rinks over night? Yeah, no greenery or gentle rains for us! It’s also the perfect time to play detective and spot potential home headaches before they turn into full-blown disasters.

This freeze-thaw dance we’re doing right now? It’s like a spotlight on all those little (and sometimes big) issues winter left behind. So, throw on your windbreaker and take a walk in the balmy 3 degree sunshine, and let’s get checking!

1. Gutter Leak Spotting: Little Frozen Death Puddles

• The Problem: Gutters hide their secrets when they’re frozen solid. And in warmer weather, a few drips might go unnoticed. But right now, with the thaw and freeze, those drips turn into telltale icicles and ice patches.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: Take a stroll around your house during the day when the thaw is happening. Look for:
  • Icicles hanging from spots other than downspouts.
  • Patches of ice forming on the ground below your gutters.
  • Water melting on the rooftop, but not coming out of your downspouts.
  • Water stains or damp spots on your siding.
• Why It Matters: Leaky or clogged gutters can lead to water damage, foundation issues, and those treacherous icy walkways we all love to avoid.
• The Fix: Get them cleaned, inspected, and repaired. If you’d like Darren Does That to handle this with our award winning service click here to get started!

First thing in the Spring is also a terrific time to get your gutters cleaned. Typically we get lots of leaves falling after the fall freeze, so a cleaning now can clear them out before we get rains.

2. Landscape Grading: Follow the Water

• The Problem: Alberta’s freeze-thaw cycle can shift the ground, creating low spots where water pools. You want water to flow downhill away from your home. But, just because it did that last year doesn’t mean things haven’t changed.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: Walk around your foundation and pathways while the thaw is on. Look for:
  • Standing water near the foundation (a big no-no!).
  • Water pooling on walkways and driveways.
  • Areas where the ground has settled or shifted.
• Why It Matters: Poor grading can lead to foundation cracks, basement flooding, and icy hazards. Changes in grading are most commonly caused by water, so as water begins to pool, the problem gets worse faster. Even when your foundation is bullet proof, your sump pump may be working much harder than it otherwise would need to, inflating your electrical bill.
• The Fix: Low spots need to be raised to direct water away from foundations and walkways. This can be as simple as adding clay to build up near the house. When the low spots are paved you may need to turn to a mudjacking or landscaping company to raise or replace the hardscaping.

3. Ice Dam Detection: The Roof’s Silent Enemy

• The Problem: Ice dams are those sneaky ice build-ups in your gutters and on your roof. They block melting snow from draining, forcing it under your shingles and into your attic.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: Look for:
  • Large ridges of ice along the edge and valleys of your roof.
  • Icicles forming along the eaves.
  • Water stains on your ceiling (see point 4).
• Why It Matters: Ice dams are usually evidence of poor attic insulation and ventilation. The water ice buildup can damage roofing, the held back water often gets into the attic causing damage, and a humid attic is a hotspot for mold.
• The Fix: If Ice Dams need to be solved right away, we offer a service where we can melt through the ice dams to drain away water. The long term fix is to improve the attic ventilation and insulation to bring the attic temperature down to the same as the exterior temperature. This can be very difficult if you have a vaulted or cathedral ceiling. Seek a quality roofing or insulation company to banish this otherwise recurring issue.

4. Ceiling Water Spots: The Indoor Warning Sign

• The Problem: Those brown or yellow spots on your ceiling? They’re often a sign of a roof leak, possibly from ice dams.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: Do a careful walk-through of your home, especially your attic, and look for any new or worsening water spots. They are most likely to appear around ceiling penetrations on the second story like light fixtures and bathroom fans.
• Why It Matters: Addressing leaks early prevents major water damage and costly repairs.

5. Spring Inspection for Faucets: Avoid the Springtime Drip

• The Problem: Winter is hard on plumbing, especially that which is on the exterior wall. If you don’t have frost-free taps, hopefully you cut the water to them in the autumn. But a burst pipe from freezing will likely have shown itself by now. Frost-Free taps are much less likely to burst, but commonly start to leak over winter. Especially if a hose was left attached to it.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: If you don’t have a frost-free tap, hold off on turning it on until the weather is more consistently above zero. If your tap is frost-free, connect it to a hose with a nozzle on the end that’s shut off. We want to pressurize the fixture. Check for any leaks in the faucet body, especially around the vacuum breaker (that little cap on top). Leaks between the faucet an the hose are likely just a bad o-ring.
• Why It Matters: A leaky faucet wastes a surprising amount of water, driving up your bill, and the water leaks right at the foundation increasing the chance of water damage in your basement.
• The Fix: A leaky hose-bib is generally a fairly DIY friendly fix, especially if the water is coming out of the vacuum breaker. Otherwise reach out to a quality handyman or plumber to get it fixed proper.

6. Furnace Filter Inspection: Give Your Furnace a Breath of Fresh Air

• The Problem: Your furnace has been working overtime all winter. A dirty filter restricts airflow, making it work harder and less efficiently, driving up bills and straining the furnace.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: Take a look at your furnace filter and see if it’s visibly dirty and what recommendations it has for a replacement schedule.
• Why it matters: A clean filter means better air quality and a more efficient furnace.
• The Fix: There’s a large variety in filter types and sizes. Some of them can be cleaned with a vacuum, and some cannot. Identify your filter brand and type and search for cleaning instructions and/or replacement schedule recommendations. If you are replacing, write on the new one what date you put it in for clarity the next time around.

7. Window Screen Repair: Bug-Proof Your Home

• The Problem: We don’t need screens much when the weather is cold enough we don’t open our windows. When you’re ready to let in fresh Spring air though, you definitely don’t want bugs coming in with it.
• The Darren Does That Spring Inspection Tip: Inspect your window screens for damage and repair or replace them before the bugs start buzzing.
• Why it matters: Open windows are great, but not with bugs joining you inside.
• The Fix: DIY screen repair exists are widely available, but they are difficult to use, and its easy to accidentally cut the new screen. Your window manufacturer can provide replacement screens, but a generic glass shop often will offer a much lower price.

Sourcing Services

If you need a hand with gutter maintenance (or spring window cleaning!) Darren Does That is ready to lend a hand. For some of the other services that a Spring Inspection may reveal you’re in need of, you’ll find the best businesses around in the 2025 Consumer Choice Awards listings.

Unlike a lot of the “best in Edmonton” type listings, a business can’t pay their way onto the Consumer Choice Awards listings. There’s actually no way a business can even submit themselves for the award. All research is done by a neutral third party.

The first time I got a piece of mail saying I’d won, I’d seen their crest on some businesses but never so much as visited their website. It’s completely different than so many “best of” lists that have offered me the #1 spot for a price, which helps homeowners not-at-all. The Consumer Choice Awards are the most reputable awards list around.

Darren’s Final Word:

Remember, folks, a quick Spring inspection and a little preventative maintenance now can save you a lot of headaches (and money) later. Have a little stroll and spot problems today, and tomorrow you’ll be happy you did. Let this be the year you get ahead of your home with an easy Spring inspection.

Stay warm (and dry!),

Darren