Seasonal Tips

Take the time to inspect the outside of your home seasonally. It can save you time and money down the road. Here are some important tips to follow when inspecting your home:

Winter Inspection Tips

Uninvited Guests

Cooler temperatures can bring uninvited guests into the home. If signs of unwanted critters begin to appear such as footprints, movement, droppings, or discolored areas, call a professional exterminator. Examine the perimeter of the home for cracks or holes that would need to be sealed to prevent this problem from reoccurring.

Roof Heat Loss

The winter season brings many festive occasions, but one element that can hinder winter enjoyment is ice. After a winter storm, visually check for uneven melting of snow or ice. This will indicate heat loss through the attic, which will increase home heating costs and, if not tended to, will cause leaks or structural damage.

Energy Savings

Experiencing chilly drafts through your windows and doors may indicate the weather-stripping needs to be replaced. Weather-stripping helps keep your home insulated from the cooler outdoor temperatures and assists in reducing heating costs. Change your ceiling fan direction to rotate in a clockwise position. This helps circulate the warm air that rises.

Spring Inspection Tips

Turn On Hose Bibs

Before you turn on your hose bibs, inspect pipes between the hose bib and shut-off valve for signs of frost damage or splits in the pipes. Also check for separated joints. Once you’ve checked that everything is in good shape, make sure your outside hose bib is turned off, and turn on the shut-off valve inside your home. Your outside hose bib is now ready for use.

Inspect Air Conditioning System and Change Filter

Now is the time to have your air conditioning system checked and cleaned by a licensed HVAC mechanic. Have your furnace or air handler filter replaced and be sure to change it monthly. If you are unsure how to change the filter, ask an HVAC mechanic to show you how it is done. Call us and we can recommend an HVAC contractor.

Make a Visual Inspection of Your Roof

Extensive damage can be caused when shingles fall off completely. Look for signs of age such as curling, shrinking, or broken or missing shingles. In order to avoid costly leaks, call us to repair or replace damaged or missing shingles.

Inspect and Clean Gutters and Downspouts

Ice that may have formed over the winter in gutters can cause the gutter to pull away from the house as well as break seals in gutter joints and downspout connections. Loose or clogged gutters can also allow rainwater to collect near you foundation causing your basement to leak. Gutter cleaning, inspections, and repairs generally require using an extension ladder, which can present a potentially dangerous situation. We recommend that you call us to perform this task.

Drainage

Inspect the perimeter of your home looking for signs of settling or voids that would allow rainwater to run down into your foundation. A properly sloped yard has a minimum of a 5 inch fall from the house to 5 feet out in the yard. This should be true on all sides of your home. This is a minimum condition, the greater the slope, the better your chances of maintaining a dry basement.

Inspect Your Deck

Winter weather can be harsh on wood, so look for loose nails and boards. Also, check for rotted boards that need to be fixed or replaced.

Paint

Look for signs of cracking or peeling paint and caulking. Scraping, sanding, and repainting those areas will be needed so that you don’t end up with rotted wood or the need to repaint the entire house.