4 Tips for Spring Home Maintenance
Spring is an important time of the year for homeowners to inspect and maintain the exterior of their home. As the winter snow and ice melts from the roof, it’s important to keep the water outside of the home where it belongs!
1.) Roof Inspection. The National Roofing Contractors Association highly recommends homeowners conduct a routine home roof inspection every spring. Many homeowners are not comfortable climbing a ladder and walking around their rooftop.
The NRCA highly recommends homeowners to have a professional licensed roofing contractor conduct the inspection.
A professional roofing contractor such as Roof Time, would inspect your roof for signs of buckling, curling or blistering. Any of these could indicate a roof repair or replacement is needed.
A qualified contractor would also search your roof for loose shingle granules. Granules add weight to the shingles and can help keep them from flying off during a high-wind storm. Shingle granules also add a layer of protection from harsh ultraviolet rays.
Lastly, it’s important for the contractor to also search for any loose material around the chimney. Loose materials could indicate an immediate chimney repair is needed!
2.) Clean the dryer vent! Whatever you do, don’t forget to clean out your home’s dryer vent! Many homeowners don’t understand that not all lint is caught within the lint trap. Excess lint is forced outside through a vent. The buildup and blockage of lint within a dryer vent is sadly, a common reason for a house fire. Inspect and clean your dryer vent regularly.
3.) Check the seals around all doors and windows. Winter weather can cause caulk to harden and crack around windows and doors. If seals are cracking, it may be well worth repairing immediately. If a homeowner waits too long, water could enter the home and cause a lot of costly damage.
4.) Inspect gutters and downspouts. Don’t have gutters or downspouts yet? These may be well worth the money. Gutters can help prevent home basement leaks. If water continuously pools against a home’s foundation, it’s only a matter of time when water will find its way inside. If you already have gutters, it’s very important to inspect and remove all loose debris such as sticks and leaves. If there is gutter blockage, the water flow can be disrupted and cause water to pool around the home.
If you follow these simple spring home maintenance tips, it could protect your pocketbook from preventable future expensive repairs. Don’t wait until it’s too late!