The following is from an article that was recently featured
on doityourself.com
By: Paul Bianchina
Spring is always an ideal time to be checking the exterior of
your home and catching up on any maintenance items that have
come to light since last summer. As always, maintenance begins
with a stroll around the house and a careful examination of
its condition. Take a tablet with you, make some notes as you
go, and then sit down and work up a list of things to take care
– sort the list in order of the most pressing items first
– and then list the tools and materials you'll need for
each task. By sorting and organizing your list in this manner,
you can take what may sometimes be a long list of projects and
make it a lot easier to undertake. The Roof
Roof damage is an obvious area of concern. You'll want to
actually go up on the roof so that you can make a thorough
and careful inspection of several different things, so if
you're not comfortable with the height or steepness of your
roof, consider hiring an experienced, licensed roofing company
to do the inspection for you.
As you walk around the roof, look for missing or loose shingles,
including ridge cap shingles. Examine the condition of the
flashings around chimneys, flue pipes, vent caps and anyplace
where the roof and walls intersect. Look also for areas of
overhanging trees that could damage the roof in a wind storm,
as well as buildups of leaves, pine needles and other debris.
If you have roof damage in a number of areas, or if the shingles
are of an age and condition that makes patching impractical,
now may be the time to consider having the entire roof redone.
Also, remember that if the shingles have been damaged by wind
or by impact from falling tree limbs or other items, repair
of the damage may be covered by your homeowner's insurance.
Gutters
Check the condition of gutters and downspouts. Look
for areas where the fasteners may have pulled loose, and for
any sags in the gutter run. Also, check for water stains that
may indicate joints that have worked loose and may be leaking.
Now is also the time to make note of gutters that may be clogged
with leaves and in need of cleaning.
Siding
Siding can suffer damage from exposure to sun, wind
and rain. As you work your way around the house, you'll want
to look for areas of siding that may be loose, cracked or
sagging. In the case of plywood siding, look for areas of
delamination – separation of the layers of plywood –
or for overlap seam that may be working loose.
In addition to examining the siding, check the condition of
any wood trim, and the condition of both paint and caulking.
Peeling or missing paint will need to be spot primed and painted,
and the caulking around windows, doors and trim may need to
be cleaned out and replaced to prevent moisture and air from
creeping into open gaps.
Grade
Heavy snow and rain can often cause the soil around
your home to move – washing away in some areas and piling
up in others. This type of alteration in the grade levels
around your home can result in drainage problems and potential
damage to your home, so look for areas of water staining on
the concrete, or dirt or water stain patterns on siding –
if they're present, plan on moving and contouring some soil
to redistribute the drainage patterns.
Fences
Ground water can play havoc with fences and gates
as well – soft, wet soil allows fence posts to loosen
up and eventually sag or fall over. Check fences by wiggling
the posts to see if there is movement – if there is,
plan on removing soil around the base of the posts and pouring
additional concrete to reinforce them. This is also the time
to check the condition of fence boards and the condition and
operation of gates.
Spring Cleaning
Once you've completed your examination of these and
other areas of your home's exterior and completed any necessary
repairs, spring is also the ideal time to undertake a good
exterior cleaning. In addition to gutters and roof, remove
and store your storm windows and clean your windows; use a
broom or water to remove cobwebs and dirt from under eaves,
as well as on siding and exterior doors; pressure wash patios
and walkways (pressure washers can be purchased or rented);
and care for exterior wood decks.
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