2026-02-04 · 7 min read
A Kirkland home maintenance checklist that actually fits this weather
Wet winters, a dry stretch, wind off the lake, and cedar that looks fine until you step on it. This is the short list we leave after a first visit.
Late winter — before the doors swell shut
Walk every exterior door after a week of rain. If it scrapes, say so before March. Check the water heater T&P, replace furnace filters, and look at the ceiling under bathrooms for tea-colored stains. A stain now is a small patch. In June it is a bigger story.
Spring — decks, gutters, and the fence that leaned
Finn Hill and Juanita decks take the winter personally. Probe treads with a screwdriver. Soft goes; paint over rot does not. Reseat gutter clips the wind lifted. A gate that dropped two inches is a hinge and a latch, not a new fence — unless the post is gone.
Dry months — paint, caulk, and the list you ignored
This is when interior paint and exterior caulk actually cure. Hang the TV. Build the IKEA. Swap the builder lights. If you have a punch list from a remodel, summer is when we can finish it without tracking mud through the house.
Fall — weatherstrip before the lake wind
Door sweeps, window locks, smoke/CO detectors, and hose bibs. Moss Bay sliders leak air if the pile weatherstrip is flat. A $40 sweep is a better November than a new unit in January.