THE FLOWERS ARE OUT, SUNNY DAYS ARE HERE AND NOW YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT DOING HOME MAINTENANCE. Top to Bottom is the way to go……
To help you cover all the bases, we’ve come up with a handy spring-maintenance checklist. Consult it every year and your home will thank you.
- Inspect Brickwork and Stucco – Spalling is a chipping or popping away of a brick’s face, leaving the brick’s interior susceptible to moisture and crumbling. Look for this and any deteriorated mortar that typically occurs on older homes.
2. Replace Rotted Siding or Trim, and Repaint as Necessary – Repainting siding or trim is often more than a one-weekend project. For color consistency, you just can’t just touch it up—you need to paint a whole section.
If you live in a place where there’s a lot of freezing and thawing, gutters will expand and contract, so make sure they’re flush to the roof, with no sags or dips. When scheduling your gutter cleaning ask to have us check for repairs. You may need to have your gutters re-secured. 4. Inspect Your Roof – Shingles that curl (turn up) and claw (turn down) can make your roof inefficient and susceptible to leaks. Call a minimum of three roofers before committing to one for repairs. You’ll educate yourself in the process and end up with a better deal.
5. Get a Chimney Checkup – Have a professional chimney sweep clean and inspect your active or decorative chimney. Professionals should also check the chimney flue and cap for cracks or leaking. 6. Check Your Heat/Air Unit; Change Batteries in Detectors – Change filters and clean the air purifier as needed. – Have your ducts professionally cleaned. It’ll make your indoor air quality healthier and your furnace more efficient.
7. Prune Landscaping and Create Good Drainage – Shrubs and landscaping help against soil erosion and should be planted to form a negative grade, which means water will flow away from the house. 8. Give Concrete a Little TLC – Seal and inspect asphalt or concrete driveways. Most of us put off sealing driveways until the fall, but the spring is an ideal time to do it. The sealer you use, the driveway material and climate will affect how often you need to seal your driveway. – Power-wash concrete patios, and inspect decks for rotting wood and secure railings. Seal both if necessary. 9. Don’t Forget the Sump Pump – Make sure the sump pump is operating correctly, and install a battery backup pump. The backup, another pump that floats above the original pump, will kick on when the electricity goes out. If your sump pump fails, an alarm goes off, letting you know the backup is working. A few hundred dollars will save you thousands in water damage.
Happy Spring!! Enjoy the Summer!!
Beth
Print the handy check-list….http://www.hgtv.com/content/dam/documents/checklist.pdf
