With the season perfect for working outside, the National Home Improvement Month of May is a busy time. No doubt you have plenty of home improvement projects that have been falling by the wayside due to time and just plain old motivation. Let the resurgence of spring and warmer temperatures inspire you to have the following projects finally finished off and crossed off of the list.

1. Roofing

While roofs can typically last around 10 years, you should always have it inspected and maintained twice a year. The first time it should be inspected is in the spring season. Snow, ice, and other unpleasant weather conditions brought on due to the chilly temperatures can wreak havoc on your roof. It can chip it away and even get underneath it to provide water damage to your attic. To ensure your roof made it through the winter and is prepared for summer storms, have someone take a look at it for you.

There are a few ways that you can inspect the roof, too. The first is a casual visual inspection. Do you notice any shingles missing? Are some of them bent or warped? Perhaps you even notice that your roof is sinking into the attic. These are all signs that your roof is in need of immediate repair.

Another inspection that you can perform is to go up into the attic itself. By taking a lit candle, you can slowly make your way across the attic. Any time the candle flickers, it’s a good sign that there is a crack or gap in the roof. This is letting in air to the home.

Luckily, no matter what damage was done to the roof, it can be repaired. The best time to do it is during National Home Improvement Month. The temperatures are perfect for roofing projects. It also ensures that you won’t have a leaking attic come to the emergence of summer storms.

Finally, a new roof or even just a repaired roof looks a lot nicer. It can make your house appear several years younger than it actually is.

2. Gutters

Another project that should be completed during the National Home Improvement Month of May is gutters. When was the last time you had them cleaned or inspected? Clogged and broken gutters are a big problem. They can no longer perform their primary function. Gutters serve to direct water and debris away from your house and foundation. When they’re clogged or broken, the water runs down the side of the home instead. This water can get into the foundation and start causing it damage.

In areas where water freezes during the winter, any water that is trapped in your foundation also freezes. This can cause further damage. It can even cause severe cracks that can make your foundation unstable. Understandably, this can be a costly problem to fix.

In order to prevent that in the first place, you can make sure that the water is being deposited a safe distance away from your home. Gutters should be cleaned and fixed during May because it ensures that any debris that got into them during the winter is removed. Birds, animals, and even bugs like to make gutters their home. The nests that they build can cause the gutter to break.

A few signs that your gutters might be clogged or broken are as follows. The first is that you notice there isn’t water trickling through the spout after it has rained. Instead, you notice pools of water around the side of your house. Perhaps the grass there is greener or spongier even. Another sign is dripping water from the gutter that isn’t the spout. Perhaps there’s a crack in the gutter that is allowing water to drip down against the house. Another sign is a sudden increase in cracks in the basement or foundation. Perhaps you even notice some flooding.

Gutters play a critical role in the health and durability of your home. May is a great time to have them repaired and inspected.

3. Siding

Winter can be pretty brutal for your siding. With all of the salt that’s used to melt the snow and ice from your driveway, you likely find that it somehow gets on the siding, too. Salt can eat away certain materials over time. The dirt from the snow can also stick to the siding. The rain can only wash so much grime and dirt away. You may need to have a professional come care for your siding. That makes National Home Improvement Month a great time to do some siding work.

How old is your siding? Like all things, even siding has its trends. Perhaps it’s no longer in style. It may severely date your house. To give your home a fresh and sophisticated look, you may want to do away with the siding entirely and instead have new siding placed on it. Perhaps you want to do away with siding entirely and see how your home looks with brick or other materials.

Or if your siding is still holding its own, all it may need is a simple wash. Power-washing can be dangerous in inexperienced hands. It can be possible to crack or even break the siding instead of just cleaning it. You may even damage other parts of your home. Power-washing is an effective method of cleaning and brightening up old siding on the home. However, it should only be done by those who are experienced with power-washing.

4. New Windows

As temperatures increase and decrease the home shifts. Wood expands and shrinks in response to the temperature. Your windows and doors are key places where gaps can form. With all of the shifting that the house does, those are weak areas that can create gaps that allow air to flow in and out of the home. It can also let in tiny bugs.

A project to tackle for National Home Improvement Month is to either seal up the windows or to get brand new ones. Sealing windows is a great option for those who love their windows and don’t want to part with them. It’s also more affordable. All you need is a simple caulk. It can fill those gaps and help keep the window from moving so much for a time. You will likely have to caulk again, however.

For those who have had their windows for a long time, it might be worth it to purchase new windows. Old windows can become so foggy and dirty that it’s almost impossible to clean them. This is especially true if the problem resides within the panels of glass rather than on the outside. A brand new window can replace those smudges with clear glass. You can play with different lighting ambiances in the house based on what window you procure. Smaller windows, larger windows, fewer windows, more windows, all of these can affect the light quality in your home.

Like your siding, you’ll also find that certain window styles and trims are trendier than others. Expert advice can help you choose a window that either fits with the current interior design trend or is timeless.

5. Flooring

While flooring may seem like a job for winter, it’s actually a great project for the spring, too. There’s a lot of mess created by flooring. It’s easier to handle that mess when the temperatures outside are pleasant rather than cold. That makes the National Home Improvement Month of May the perfect time to do some flooring projects. Rip out old carpet and think about using harder materials like wood, tile, or even concrete.

Carpet can date your home. To ensure that your home meshes well with the current trends in interior design, you should research the latest trends. Knowing the aesthetic of the room is important, too. You wouldn’t want to use wood in a room that’s supposed to be industrial. Play around with shades of color, too. Sometimes a dark floor can completely change the composition of the room.

6. Landscaping

With spring on hand, it’s time to start planning your landscaping. Gardens can be a great addition to any home. However, you don’t want to be overly ambitious. First, you need to understand just how motivated you are to maintain that garden all through the summer. Large gardens can take a lot of time to weed and nurture. Smaller gardens are easier to maintain, especially if you’re doing it alone.

Then think about what you want to plant. Do you want some flowers to add color to your yard? Or do you prefer a more practical approach to gardening? If so, then you might want to plant herbs that you can harvest and use in the kitchen.

Clearly, there are plenty of projects to tackle. Homemasters can help you knock those projects off of the list, so your home is summer-ready.