Clean the Gutters as Part of Your Exterior Home Maintenance
Keeping the gutters clean is essential to prolonging the life of your roof, foundation, and landscaping. Overflowing gutters lead to leaks, mold growth, unsightly puddles in the yard, and they attract mosquitoes.
Ask a family member or friend to help stabilize the ladder. Position it in a safe, level place to reach the gutters. Put on some sturdy gloves and scoop the dirt, leaves, and other debris out of the channels. Use a bucket attached to your ladder to collect the debris or toss it down onto a tarp in the yard.
After cleaning the guttering, use a garden hose to flush the channels. Wash any remaining dirt out the downspouts and make sure the water is flowing freely.
Pressure-Wash Exterior Surfaces
When the weather warms up, rent a pressure-washing machine and clean your siding. You’ll remove dust, grime, and mildew that accumulates over time. Read the instructions first and be careful when pressure-washing. If the pressure is too high you can damage vinyl siding and even crack window glass. This is a good job for a professional if you’re not comfortable completing it yourself.
After cleaning, look for pieces of your siding that need to be repaired or replaced. Check for flaking paint and touch up the area. Paint provides a protective coating for wooden siding. If the paint is damaged or chipped, the exposed wood may begin to deteriorate.
While you have the pressure washer, use it to clean sidewalks, the driveway, the front porch, and your deck or patio. A pressure washer can make quick work cleaning these areas and will remove built-up dirt and grime, leaving your home’s exterior looking fresh and new.
Exterior Home Maintenance: Check the Roof
In early Spring, take time to check the roof. Do a visual inspection for missing or broken shingles and look for moss and algae growth. If you can access your roof safely, walk the roof to perform a close-up assessment. Remove tree branches and twigs that have fallen from winter storms. Examine flashing to make sure it’s in good condition and not rusted or damaged.
If you cannot access your roof, call a professional for a roofing inspection. Replace areas of missing or damaged shingles to help prevent leaks and water damage from failing roof materials.
Improve the Front Porch
Another great task for Spring is making improvements to the front porch. Your entryway is the first thing visitors notice and minor upgrades will make your home warm and welcoming. Add hanging baskets of greenery or pots with brightly colored annual flowers. Purchase a new welcome mat and polish the doorknob and kickplate. Clean the light fixtures. Wash the glass globes and replace the bulbs.
If the finish on the fixtures is peeling or flaking, touch up the paint. First, turn off the breaker to the lights and remove the fixtures. Use sandpaper and a spray-on primer to prepare the surfaces. There are many types of spray paints available with special metallic finishes. You can choose from shiny silver or gold, or antique finishes like rubbed bronze or brushed nickel. Allow the fixtures to dry completely before reinstalling them.
Alpharetta Property Inspections offers home inspections to North Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Cobb, Dekalb, and Cherokee counties. Contact us to schedule an appointment.