Preventative Measures for Your Home Exterior

Life in general can sneak up on you and all of sudden you’re dealing with overflowing gutters or a leaky roof. Whether you’re living in your forever home or you’re planning on selling in a few years, keeping it well-maintained enhances curb appeal and increases resale value. Use these preventative measures to come up with your own comprehensive maintenance plan.

Don’t Ignore Red Flags

Signs of structural damage include: large cracks in the foundation and around windows and doors; settling of the house at one or more of the corners; sagging roofline; and components such as a deck, chimney or perpendicular walls moving away from one another.

Constantly overflowing gutters most likely are clogged or damaged in some other way.

The appearance of mold, mildew and rot in the gutters or on exterior walls is a sure sign of excess moisture from some unwanted source.

Damp patches appearing on interior ceilings, siding panels or roof shingles could indicate a serious or developing leak.

Don’t Put off Minor Repairs

A few missing roofing tiles, a cracked window pane or a loose downspout might not seem very significant. But if something isn’t working the way it should, it will eventually become critical if left unattended. Minor repairs now can save you a lot of money and stress later.

Do Inspections and Scheduled Maintenance

After severe weather, the end of a season or returning home from a vacation or business trip, walk around the exterior of your home, checking for signs of damage to the roof, the gutters, siding, windows and doors.

Inspect and/or clean the roof annually.

Thoroughly clean out the gutters at least once a year, twice or more if your property is surrounded by lots of trees.

Do Hire a Pro

Maybe you’re reluctant to hire a professional because of the expense, particularly if the task appears to be a minor one. But if you keep talking yourself out of cleaning the gutters or the small patch of mold on the siding is now covering three-quarters of the wall, hiring a licensed contractor to do the work for you could help prevent the problem from becoming worse. Most professional siding, roofing and gutter installation companies offer a free estimate or consultation to help determine what needs to be done and how much it will cost.