Maintaining your home is the last thing that you would want to do, given the little time that is left after finishing household chores. Also, the importance of cleaning the house regularly is often overlooked and ignored. And now when it comes to maintaining the exteriors, it’s a big NO. Who wants to do it, who has the time?
Maintaining the exterior of your home is an essential part of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in your house. To keep your home in good shape, you should definitely take out time to regularly inspect and maintain it. And who knows, by maintaining the exterior, you might actually prevent bigger and more expensive problems in the interiors of your house.
If you have been putting off maintenance for long now, it’s time to buckle up and take the tools in your hands. With the help of these tips and advice the task may look easy look to you. Here is a checklist for some important areas that need regular maintenance :
Gutters
It’s time to sit down and think when was the last time you looked up or cleaned your gutters? You probably can’t even recall! Well, clogged gutters can divert water to wrong areas thus causing damage. Water from clogged gutters can overflow and cause damage to your roofs and foundation.
Whenever you are cleaning your house, make it a point to look up the gutters for potential problems, problems such as clogging, leakage or any other problem. Pay attention to where the water is going to prevent any improper diversion of water.
Roof
Your roof is like a canvass, so you should paint it well. Your roof can speak words about you and its important that it is in its best shape. Your roof can get affected by algae, mould, lichen, mildew and moss, and oxidation in case of metal roofs. This reduces the life of your roof, and its ability to absorb sunlight. Therefore, you should get your roof cleaned of these harmful growth. Though you can clean your roof yourself, it is better to take professional roof cleaning services for its effective cleaning and maintenance.
You may put off the repair or maintenance of the roof, but giving it due attention now helps you prevent more expensive repairs due to prolonged damage. Look out for missing shingles or granules in the roof which may cause leakage in the future.
Pathways, driveways and patios
Over time, pathways and driveways may begin to deteriorate in quality and develop cracks and holes. It can be due to passage of time or extreme temperature changes, and can cause accidents, falls or trips.
A good way to maintain pathways and driveways in Australia is to regularly clean them. Pressure washing in Newcastle can make your patios and pathways look new again and leave them glinting.
Foundation
Maintaining your foundation is important to keep your house clean, comfortable and dry. It is advised to once in while inspect your foundation for cracks to prevent water seeping in or rats coming in through the cracks. Make sure the water is diverted away from the house.
Your foundation may also have vents for crawl spaces which can become a catch-all for twigs, leaves and debris. Clean them regularly for proper ventilation and especially after the fall.
Siding
Siding is a protective material attached to the exterior of the wall to maintain a comfortable environment inside the house. It acts as a defense against sun, rain and snow and can also have an impact on the beauty of the house.
Different types of sidings require different types of care. While vinyl siding can be cleaned through pressure washing, wood siding may need to be treated every four years.
See, it is not that hard after all to inspect the exterior of your house and should not take you more than a day. In case you notice any cracks or damage, it is better to get it repaired without delay so as to prevent further damage which may cost you even more.