The Home Repairs You Need To Do At The Start Of Spring/Summer
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The spring/summer seasons signify the end of a long, tough winter. For many of you, this winter involved months of rain and cold weather – and this takes a toll on your home. It leaves many parts of your home crying out for a touch-up here or there, not to mention you’ve got the usual spring/summer maintenance tasks to consider as well. You end up with a massive list of things to do, so let’s walk through some of the more important ones to tick off right away.
Patch Up The Roof
A roof inspection is needed after a long winter because the bad weather can cause long-term problems. This is particularly important if you had a lot of snowfall over the last few months: snow weighs down your roof and can cause sagging in the attic, as well as possible water damage. So, it’s a case of checking the outside and the inside to be sure everything is okay.
If not, you might need a roofing company to replace some shingles or patch up some minor cracks here and there before they get worse. Likewise, you may need someone to even out your roof if it’s starting to sag. A lot of you won’t need to do anything, but a roof inspection is crucial, as it may show you need important home repairs.
Repair & Revamp Your Gutters
Throughout fall/winter, your gutters get put through hell. Loose leaves fall from trees for months, collecting in your gutter along with any other natural debris blown by the wind. Then it rains for weeks on end – and sometimes snows – meaning all of the debris bogs down and turns into a horrible clump. The result? Clogged gutters that are being weighed down by too much debris, causing them to warp and sag.
While you should definitely try to clean your gutters regularly throughout the colder months, there’s a sense of “why bother?” about it. You clean them one week, and then they fill up with leaves and debris a few days later. Now that the bad weather is behind you, it’s time to call a gutter company to sort everything out properly. This will involve a proper cleaning of your gutters, plus any repairs to sagging or warped areas. If things are really bad, then a full gutter replacement could be on the cards.
Seal Up Your Windows
Windows are designed to try and keep cold air out of your home during the fall/winter, but this means the weatherstripping works overtime. Loads of rain, snow, and wind can mean that the seals around your windows wear down more than at any other period of the year. But here’s the thing: you actually need this insulation for the warmer months to make sure your AC works properly. With that in mind, it’s time to go all over your house and inspect every window to see how the seals are faring.
Do you spot any that look overly worn? Re-caulk them with proper window sealant or replace the weatherstripping altogether. It’ll feel like you’ve got new windows without the expense of buying actual new windows.
Prepare Your AC Unit
The chances are you’ve got an HVAC system in your home to both heat and cool it. As a result, it just spent the last few months warming your home – but now you need to prepare the cooling side of things for the warmer part of the year. The last thing you need is a dodgy AC unit that doesn’t work efficiently and can’t keep you cool during heatwaves. All you need is some simple AC maintenance, which tends to involve:
- Replacing any filters
- Cleaning dir from around the system
- Bringing in a pro to test the system and provide any small repairs
Who knows, you might discover that your AC unit is actually faulty and won’t work properly in its current state. The bad news is it needs replacing; the good news is you’ve figured this out and replaced it before the hot summer starts.
Check Your Siding
Think of your siding as the outermost protective barrier against the elements. It exists to buffer wind and bad weather – as well as to look nice. For most of the year, it simply does the latter and makes your home look pretty. But, during the winter, your siding finally gets to show its protective qualities, and this can take a toll on its condition when the sun starts shining again.
Head outside and check your siding for any telltale signs of winter damage:
- Cracked or broken panels
- Warping
- Loose panels/planks
- Serious dents
While some of these damages may seem superficial, they end up weakening your siding’s structural integrity. In other words, your home is no longer as protected as it once was. The start of spring/summer is the ideal time to touch up your siding with a few essential repairs – or even to reseal wood siding so it maintains its protective properties.
Jet Wash Outdoor Walkways
This includes your driveway and any decking/patio on your property. All of these walkways can suffer from big wear & tear in the winter – and they’ll also be filthy. Jet wash them to remove layers of grime and see what state they’re really in. You might be lucky enough to reveal nothing sinister, which means a wash is all you need to worry about – plus resealing any wooden deck boards.
However, if you experienced some extremely cold weather in the winter with a lot of snow/ice, then there’s always a chance that small cracks appear in walkways. This is mostly common on concrete or asphalt areas, so see to them before the cracks get bigger and turn into safety hazards.
The beginning of spring/summer is the right time to touch up your home and check for any signs of damage after a tricky winter. It’s all a case of getting your property into its best condition for the warmer and sunnier part of the year. This way you can enjoy it without needing to worry about anything.
