Home maintenance isn’t something that can be ignored. With the kids heading back to school, it’s a sure sign fall is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get started on your fall maintenance. If you’re not sure what you should be doing each fall, here’s a simple to-do list you can apply to your home.
Perform a Quick Visual Inspection
Walk around your home. Look at the roof, windows, gutters, and siding. Do this first because there are things that should be left to the professionals like roof repair. If you notice you have missing, curled, bent, or misaligned shingles, call your roofer and ask for a roof repair estimate. However, if you notice debris on your roof, add clean roof to your checklist. Don’t forget about your chimney. If it’s not been inspected in the past two years, call a chimney company to inspect and clean it.
Next, look at your gutters. If they’re already full of leaves, you should make sure cleaning is on your list. Don’t put it off until after all the leaves fall. Clean gutters protect your home in many ways, the biggest being funneling the water away from your home’s foundation and basement. From your gutters you’ll want to make sure your siding is well-affixed to your home. If it’s cracked or broken, call a siding company and ask for a quote for new siding. Broken siding allows creatures and water into your home, both of which can do significant damage.
Windows and doors are the last exterior elements you should check. Look at the caulk around your windows. If it’s peeling, cracked, or missing, you’ll want to head to your home improvement store and get a caulk gun and the right color and type of caulk. Before you go, check your exterior door’s weather stripping. If it’s deteriorating or you notice your door doesn’t seal as well as it did, get new weather stripping. It’s easy to install and can not only keep out pests but also drafts.
Decide Which Repairs are Worth it
Not all windows should be re-caulked. Sometimes the better answer is a window replacement. The same goes for your roof. Your roofer will be able to determine if a roof repair is a good idea or if your home would be better served with a roof replacement. Siding is nearly impossible to repair. You can re-attach it to your home but you can’t fix holes or cracks without replacing those boards which never look the same again. Cooley Roofing and Construction can repair or replace your roof, siding, and windows. If you’d like to speak to us about your home, call 366-766-6488 or fill out our contact form today.
