Colorado winters are hard on houses. After 100+ freeze-thaw cycles, months of UV exposure at altitude, and the thermal contraction that comes with temperatures swinging 40°F in a single day, your home’s exterior exits winter in worse shape than it entered it. Spring maintenance in Colorado Springs isn’t a generic checklist from a national home improvement site — it’s calibrated to what this climate actually does to buildings.
Work through this list in late April and May, after the risk of hard freezes has passed and before summer heat arrives.
Exterior
1. Walk the foundation perimeter Look for new cracks that appeared over winter. Hairline cracks in concrete foundations are common after severe freeze-thaw cycling and often cosmetic. Horizontal cracks in block foundations, stair-step cracks in mortar joints, or cracks wider than 1/4" warrant professional assessment. Document what you find with photos and a date.
2. Inspect caulking at all window and door frames Colorado’s low humidity and UV intensity degrade caulk faster than any other climate in the continental U.S. Caulk that was solid in October may be cracked, shrinking, or separating from the frame by May. Press on suspect sections — if it crumbles or separates, scrape it out and recaulk with a high-quality paintable exterior silicone-latex hybrid. Don’t leave open gaps through summer: water infiltration behind siding causes damage that costs significantly more than the caulk tube.
3. Check painted wood trim and siding for peeling or cracking The combination of dry winter air (10–20% indoor humidity) and UV exposure causes paint to lose adhesion faster here. Scrape loose sections, prime bare wood, and repaint before summer UV exposure attacks the bare substrate. Spot painting in spring prevents full repaints that become necessary when the damage goes unaddressed.
4. Inspect the roof from the ground with binoculars Look for lifted or missing shingles, granule loss (bare dark patches on asphalt shingles), and any obvious damage to flashing around chimneys, vents, or skylights. Colorado Springs averages significant hail events in spring and summer — if you know a major storm hit last year and you haven’t had the roof looked at, spring is the time.
5. Clean gutters and downspouts Spring means cottonwood seeds and pine debris after winter winds. Clear gutters of any organic material. Flush downspouts with a garden hose to confirm flow. Check that downspout extensions direct water at least 4–6 feet from the foundation. Pooling water against the foundation after spring snowmelt is a common cause of basement moisture problems.
6. Inspect the deck or patio surface At Colorado Springs elevations, deck stain breaks down 30–40% faster than manufacturer specifications because of UV intensity. Look for greying, flaking, or checking (surface cracks) in the wood. If you’re past two seasons since the last stain application, this is likely a restain year. Boards that have checked or show end grain exposure need prompt attention before summer moisture cycles make them worse.
7. Check fence post conditions Ground contact at 6,035 feet means wood fence posts face significant freeze-thaw stress at the soil line. Push on each post — visible movement indicates rot or frost heaving. Posts that have heaved above grade need resetting before they pull the fence panel with them.
8. Inspect the driveway and walkways for new cracks Concrete that was intact in October may have cracked after a hard winter. Fill cracks before they widen. Water entering a crack, freezing, and expanding is the mechanism that turns a hairline crack into a significant heave. Concrete crack filler from the hardware store handles cracks under 1/2" wide. Larger damage or sunken sections are worth getting looked at.
Outdoor Water Systems
9. Restore outdoor hose bibs — after May 8 Turn the interior shutoff valve back on for each outdoor hose bib. Before attaching any hose, check for drips at the spigot body and at any connections inside the wall. A frost-free sill cock that cracked over winter will drip from the wall after being restored. Identify the failure point before letting the water run freely.
10. Inspect irrigation system Turn on zone by zone and walk each zone while it runs. Look for broken heads (spraying sideways or not retracting), low-coverage zones, and heads that are sitting too high or too low after soil movement. Adjust before the first hot week in June, not during it.
11. Swamp cooler startup See the swamp cooler vs. AC guide for the full startup procedure. At minimum: replace pads, clean the reservoir, treat with algae inhibitor, check belt condition, and test before hot weather arrives. Waiting until the first 90°F day to discover the unit needs a new pad is a guarantee of a warm house.
Interior Systems
12. Replace HVAC filter After heating season — which runs long in Colorado Springs — replace the filter before transitioning to cooling season. If you have a whole-home humidifier, remove and clean the water panel and shut off the humidistat. Humidifiers should not run during cooling season.
13. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors Press the test button on each device. Replace batteries in battery-powered units annually regardless of test result — the test button only confirms the alarm sounds, not that the battery has adequate reserve for an actual event. Units older than 10 years (smoke) or 7 years (CO) should be replaced.
14. Test GFCI outlets Press the test button on GFCI outlets in bathrooms, kitchen, garage, and exterior locations. The outlet should lose power. Press reset. If it doesn’t trip or doesn’t reset, the outlet needs replacement.
15. Check the water heater Inspect for rust at connections, confirm the temperature is set to 120°F, and listen for unusual sounds during the heating cycle. Annual flushing is the recommended maintenance — see the water heater flushing guide if this hasn’t been done recently.
Outdoor Living Preparation
16. Inspect outdoor furniture hardware Bolts and fasteners on outdoor furniture, swings, and play equipment are exposed to significant freeze-thaw stress. Tighten all hardware. Replace any that are corroded beyond function. A loose bolt on a swing or a climber is a structural issue — address it before kids use the equipment.
17. Service the gas grill Remove burner grates and clean. Check the burner ports for blockage (spiders and insects nest in gas orifices over winter — this is not rare). Inspect the propane hose for cracks or brittleness. Test igniter. Light all burners and confirm even flame across the surface.
18. Prepare the garage for summer Spring is when garages accumulate the clutter of winter — salt bags, snow shovels, ice scrapers. Clear floor space and check overhead storage if you have it. Heat and UV inside an uninsulated Colorado Springs garage accelerate chemical degradation of stored items — store paint, aerosols, and similar materials inside conditioned space.
The Payoff
This list isn’t about perfection — it’s about catching the things that Colorado winter does to a house before they become expensive. Caulk failure that’s caught in May costs $20 in materials and an hour of time. Left until October, it’s caused water infiltration behind siding that may require an entirely different conversation.
For help with any item on this list, call (719) 243-9718 or visit thecoloradohandyman.com.
Ready to Get Started?
Flat-rate written estimate, no hourly surprises. Serving Colorado Springs, Monument, Fountain, Woodland Park, and the Pikes Peak region.