Spring Checklist for Your Cabin

 Photo: Daiga Ellaby / Unsplash

Spring is a busy time at the cabin. It’s time to transition the cabin from the cold of winter to the new life and warmth of spring. It’s the season of snow melt, spring cleaning, cabin maintenance, and gardening. No matter what your spring looks like, this season is an important part of cabin life. Here’s a checklist that covers how to make the most of the season:

Check for Repairs

As the snow melts from our cabins, spring offers the perfect time to check for repairs. Do a thorough inspection of the outside and inside of your cabin to look for any new areas that might need maintenance. This is the season to take care of any lingering to-dos so that you can make the most of the coming year.

Spring Cleaning

If your cabin is like ours, winter comes with a lot of mess. There’s mud tracked in from the snow, messy wood chips from firewood, and a general need to tidy up. Spring is the time to break out the deep cleaning supplies and do a top-to-bottom clean of the cabin. Just be sure to use cleaning products that are gentle on your logs and wood floors!

Clean Your Logs

We think of spring cleaning as cleaning the inside of our homes — but what about the outside? A cabin’s logs should be cleaned once a year. Mark this as a to-do list item on your calendar mid-way through spring, after the pollen has cleared in your area. Give your logs a thorough washing to remove the dirt, dust, and pollen from the previous year. Even if you can’t see it, a thin film of dirt accumulates on your logs that needs to be cleaned to protect the stain and logs.

Clean Your Gutters

Depending on where you live, spring can come with heavy snow melt. And if your gutters aren’t clean, the snow melt could cause flooding and water damage. Check your gutters both in the fall (before the snow comes) and spring (as the snow starts to melt) to prepare.

Stain Maintenance

Spring is a great opportunity to do any stain maintenance on your cabin. Winter weather is too harsh for this and summer is often too busy. Inspect your cabin for areas that might need stain repairs, or if it’s been a while (usually 2 - 3 years) consider a full cabin re-stain.

Store Your Heavy Blankets & Winter Clothes

This is one of the best parts of spring! Declutter your cabin by storing your heavy winter blankets and clothes. This will free up some space until the next time you need them.

Check for Water Damage

The snow from winter can cause water damage if it melts and has prolonged contact with certain parts of your cabin. Decks and porches are some of the most common places for this to occur. Check your cabin for signs of water damage and log rot to prevent small areas of damage from getting worse.

Wood Stove & Fireplace Maintenance

It’s a good rule of thumb to have your wood stove or fireplace cleaned and inspected once a year. Spring is a great time to do this to get prepared for the following winter. 

Store Your Firewood

If you have lots of firewood left over from winter, be sure to store it in a dry area away from your cabin. Firewood left too close to your cabin can attract critters, and if your wood gets too wet it might not burn properly. 

Get Ready to Garden

One of the most fun parts of spring is starting to garden. If you live in a warmer climate, you can get a head start on planting your garden. For us, we have a late planting season and spring is a time to plan our garden and buy seeds. Either way, don’t forget to take advantage of this season to start on some landscaping and gardening.