Maintaining the exterior of your home is important for a number of reasons. Not only does it make your home look nicer, but it can also help to protect it from the elements. Here are ten ways to maintain your home’s exterior and keep it looking great.
- 1. Clear the Deck
- 2. Check for Rot
- 3. Power Wash the Exterior of Your Home
- 4. Sweep Away Debris from Gutters
- 5. Plant Flowers or Shrubs Around the Foundation of Your Home
- 6. Get Necessary Repairs Done
- 7. Seal Leaky Windows
- 8. Maintain Exterior Doors
- 9. Look for Spalling Around the Foundation
- 10. Paint your Fence
1. Clear the Deck
If you have a porch or deck that’s on the exterior of your house, it’s important to make sure that it stays free of clutter. Not only can clutter become an eyesore, but even light things like chairs and tables can be blown around in bad weather and cause damage. Clear this space of any furniture or other objects, so nothing obstructs the view of your home.
2. Check for Rot
Wooden decks are especially prone to rot out over time, so keep an eye out for signs of rot — including soft or spongy-looking spots on wood boards. It would help if you also looked at posts that hold up the deck, as they may start to get brittle over long periods. Fixing rotas soon as you find it can help to prevent more major damage.
3. Power Wash the Exterior of Your Home
Over time, dirt and debris build up on exterior walls — making them look dingy and dirty. Use a power washer to clear away these things and make your home look as good as new! This is particularly useful for homes that have been painted since they allow you to get into all those little nooks and crannies where paint has started to flake off or wear thin
4. Sweep Away Debris from Gutters
Gutters will fill up with leaves and twigs over time, so it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of blockage early on before water starts backing up. Gutters are meant to work as a drainage system for your home, so it’s important that they stay clear.
5. Plant Flowers or Shrubs Around the Foundation of Your Home
Adding flowers or shrubs around the exterior of your home can help to make it look nicer and more well-maintained — but it also serves another purpose. These plants naturally keep weeds down, which will prevent unsightly clumps of greenery from popping up at the base of your walls. They also act as natural insulation, blocking out cold winds in winter and heat from the summer sun, helping to save on cooling and heating costs throughout each year.
6. Get Necessary Repairs Done
When something about your home is broken or damaged, make sure to get it fixed instead of putting it off. This includes chips and cracks in exterior walls, faulty gutters, cracked stones on the path leading up to your door, dripping faucets, and more. If you have siding that’s sagging or broken, then contact a siding repair service for installation and replacement.
7. Seal Leaky Windows
Water can get in through cracks around windows over time, so it’s important to seal these up. Not only does this keep things dry, but it also helps to prevent mold from growing between the panes of glass. This is especially important if you have single-pane windows or old double-paned models, as newer technology tends to be more watertight than older models.
8. Maintain Exterior Doors
Check your exterior doors for dents and replace any damaged ones as soon as possible before they cause more significant problems, such as warping and cracking around the handles and hinges. You should also maintain weather stripping on doors that go outside — ensuring that it blocks out water and drafts effectively.
9. Look for Spalling Around the Foundation
Spalling occurs when water gets between your home’s foundation and the masonry materials used on it, causing tiny cracks to appear. It’s not always easy to spot this problem early on, but if you notice that there are random spots of bare concrete sticking out from your exterior walls (especially around windows and doors), then spalling may be to blame.
10. Paint your Fence
Paint can protect the wood from rot and sun damage, so it’s a good idea to give your fence another coat every few years. If you have a white or light-colored fence and live in an area that has lots of rain and humidity, then the paint may need to be reapplied more often than this.
Maintaining the exterior of your home can seem like a daunting task, but by following these ten tips, you can keep it looking great for years to come. From power washing to sealing leaky windows, there are plenty of things you can do yourself to keep your home in good condition. If you have any questions or need help with repairs, be sure to contact a professional!
