Summer/Fall Project: Exterior Maintenance

The winter months can be hard on the exterior of your home, so now is the time that you should do checks on the exterior and see if there are any areas that need to be worked on.

A few places to be sure to look over:

Foundation: Check your foundation for cracks. You will also want to caulk around the areas where the masonry meets the siding, around windows frames, and door frames. This will help to keep heat from escaping and will help your electric bill in a positive manner.

Exterior walls: Check the exterior walls on your home and any outbuildings to be sure your paint is not blistering, cracking, or peeling. When the paint is showing these signs of wear that is a good indicator that the protective paint film is failing and cannot protect the siding any longer. If you do not correct this, then your siding will start to experience damage from the elements. You will want to get out your painting supplies and tackle painting your siding.

Roof: Be sure to check your shingles for missing or loose shingles, the harshness of winter weather will take a toll on your home if your roof is already previously damaged. The roof is your home's first defense against weather. You should have a roof professional check your roof thoroughly to be sure that it is ok.

Gutters: Be sure to clean out your gutters and downspouts after the leaves have finished falling.

Garage: Check the weather stripping on your garage doors and replace if needed. If you do not have weather stripping on them, you will want to install some.

Driveway: If you did not repair your driveway over the summer, you will definitely want to before winter brings freezing water result in further damage to cracks. Be sure to read: Seal a Driveway