It’s time to see what winter’s ice, snow, and rain have done to your home and make fixes quickly to head off damage – and add a little curb appeal to your home as you go.
First, step outside and look at your house as if you were going to purchase it ?It’s a sure way to stay on top of your home’s maintenance and protect your investment – short-term and long-term.
Look at your home’s exterior curb appeal to see what winter’s fury might have done to your exterior appearance.
- Check steps, decks and porches for wood rot and peeling paint.
- Repaint porch steps and railings yearly with durable deck paint.
- Wash winter grime and dust off the front door and door frame.
- Repaint or stain the front door to protect wood doors and give the whole home a little face lift.
- Consider using a fun accent color such as barn red, black, hunter green, navy blue or gold, depending on the other colors on your home’s exterior.
Now, carry your eyes upward to the roof ?- With any luck, Louisville has put another winter behind us – but before the blustery May winds come in – it may be the perfect time to pull a ladder up to the roof to check the valleys and remove accumulations of sticks, leaves, tree needles and other storm debris. Similar to the dangers posed by melting snow on a roof, dammed-up debris can let moisture penetrate the roofing and reach into structural timbers and walls, causing rot and mold.
While on the ladder:
- Check the flashings, or metal seals, around roof joints, chimneys, skylights
- Check the other structures that penetrate a roof for holes or rust.
- Make repairs where you can, but be sure to call a professional if you need their experience and tools.
And finally, be sure to check for water under the house at this time of the year also. ?While spring rains are still falling, or shortly thereafter, get beneath the house to see if there’s any accumulated water. ?It should be dry there, even when it’s raining outside.
If it isn’t dry, ?you can try the following steps to help assess the problem:
- Eliminate the possibility of leaks from inside the house by checking the underside of the floor for dripping water or water stains.
- Track down any plumbing leaks and repair them or call a plumber.
- If an inside leak is not to blame, look next for seepage from outside the house.
- Check where the foundation meets the ground for spots where the earth slopes toward the house.
- Even dirt mounded around shrubs should be corrected by replanting.
- Fix any sloping earth so that it directs water away from the house.
- If you live at the bottom of a hill, that may mean calling a drainage expert to diagnose problems or help devise solutions.
- Keep up preventive maintenance by trimming trees and shrubs to keep them from touching the house and channeling water down the walls;
- Remove ladders, wheelbarrows and other equipment stacked against the outside of your home.
- Install extensions on gutter downspouts to keep water far from the structure.
To stay on top of your home’s maintenance and head off expensive repairs, hire a home inspector to scrutinize your home from top to bottom. For the cost of $200 to $400, you can learn more about your home, get some peace of mind that everything’s in good shape, and prepare a list of chores to be done. Ask the inspector to help you prioritize the repairs.
Spring in Louisville can be a beautiful time – but take the time to make sure your home has a once-over following the last winter and is ready for April Showers.
If you are interested in a comprehensive home inspection and a list of what is covered, you can visit our web site at www.homemd.com
