Spring Maintenance Exterior Checklist
Spring Maintenance Exterior Checklist
Home Maintenance is an essential part of keeping your home in good condition. Regular maintenance will help prolong the life of your home, keeping it clean and looking great. It also allows you to regularly inspect your household appliances, like your furnace, to ensure they work correctly. Checklists are a great way to list the areas to check and clean, and it also helps keep you on track and your tasks in order.
As the weather starts to warm up and the snow melts, “Spring Cleaning” is on everybody’s to-do list. This article will list the most common tasks and routines for cleaning our yards and homes to ensure your home is in its best condition and prevent expensive repairs. Seasonal and monthly checklists/inspections ensure everything works correctly and efficiently
Maintenance and Inspection of the Exterior of the house:
Rooftop and Shingles
- Shingles protect your home from the weather. Most residential houses use shingles to protect the roof. Some buildings don’t. Shingles can ‘curl’ up from improper ventilation or are not installed correctly. Replacing ‘curled’ or ‘missing’ shingles will protect your roof. Missing shingles can expose the roof to flooding, leaking, and mould or cause the structure to rot.
Blistering, Buckling, or Stained Shingles
- Blistering shingles happen when water or moisture gets trapped inside the shingle. If not repaired, the ‘blistering’ shingle may explode and cause structural damage, mould, or rot. They can be challenging to locate, so having a professional inspect the roof is recommended.
- Buckling shingles is a moisture problem, and it is when the framing underneath the shingle has shifted. These must be repaired immediately, or you may need to replace the whole roof.
- Shingles can become ‘stained’ or ‘streaked’ from the moisture from the rain or snow. This shows us a leak on the roof or the ventilation system is not working efficiently or airtight.
Trees and Branches
- If you have trees near your home and the branches stretch over your home's roof or have overhanging branches, it can cause vegetation, moss or even threaten the roof's strength and durability. You can trim the tree branches to maintain the roof and help keep it in good condition. It is recommended to have a professional inspect the roof as it can be challenging to locate leaks, mould, or damaged shingles.
Attic
- If you have an attic, inspect the inside and outside for leaks, mould (any water or mould damage causes an odour), or damage. If you have water or mould damage, you can call a professional to inspect and repair it.
Other areas on the exterior of the home or outside the home include:
- Gutters and downspouts – clogged gutters and downspouts can cause damage to your home. Clear any leaves or debris from the gutter, and ensure the downspout diverts the water away from your home’s foundation.
- Inspect the chimney and other exhaust pipes on the roof or sides of the house.
- Wash the outside of the windows and doors,
- Inspect the windows and doors screens and check the caulk and weatherstripping.
- Clear and clean the walkways and driveway.
- Clean the yard and lawn care.
- Have a professional inspect the septic tank.
Regular maintenance and inspection of your home’s foundation, structure, and appliances will inform you of any repairs. Routine inspection will also keep the repairs from being more damaging or costly. Maintaining your home will help keep your home healthy and safe.
This checklist was prepared by: www.cleanandscentsible.com, which has been blogging since July 2010. It is available as a printable and downloadable PDF file; please see the links below.
By: Tricia Cook, Content Navigator