While many homeowners manage to keep up with their indoor home maintenance during the long winter months, most are unable to take care of any maintenance projects to the exterior of the home during that time. More favorable temperatures and dryer weather make the summer the best time for taking care of all your outdoor home maintenance projects.
The first step to caring for your home’s exterior is to inspect your home and take stock of any problems that need to be addressed this season. An inspection of your home’s exterior should cover several key areas, particularly:
1. The roof.
Inspect your home’s roof every spring to ensure that it hasn’t suffered any damage over the winter. The type of roof that you have will determine the maintenance that it might need.
Asphalt shingles should be inspected to ensure that there are no cracked, curled, broken or missing shingles. Metal roofs should be inspected to determine if any sections have become bent or dented in foul weather.
Flashing and sealants around chimneys and vents can become worn and start to leak over time so pay special attention to these areas during any inspection.
Any debris that has accumulated on your roof over the winter and spring should be removed as it can allow water to collect and pool on your roof, leading to leaks.
2. The gutter system.
The gutters are an important part of your home’s roofing system. They help move rain away from your home and can prevent damage to your siding, foundation and landscaping.
Gutters should be inspected and cleaned every summer to ensure that they will be working optimally during summer storms.
Gutter guards can be installed, which will reduce the amount of cleaning that needs to be done.
3. The siding.
Your home’s siding should also be inspected every summer. Depending on the type of siding you have, different routine and non-routine maintenance projects may be called for.
Wood siding should be inspected for insect damage and may need to be painted or re-finished every few years.
Aluminum siding, while considered low-maintenance, may need to be cleaned and should be inspected for dents or other damage that can be caused by severe weather.
While brick siding should last for the life of your home, the mortar may start to crack in older homes, so it is still important to inspect your bricks and mortar every year.
Inspecting your home’s exterior can help you to create a list of home maintenance projects to accomplish this summer.
