Spring Maintenance Checklist
Spring Maintenance Checklist
Spring is arriving and while the weather is getting nicer, flowers bloom, and the sun shines brighter and longer, every homeowner has Spring cleaning in mind. Want your house to shine? Creating a plan for what you need to be repaired, cleaned or updated will help do just that without driving stress and costs up. Be proactive when it comes to home maintenance and you’ll thank us later, here are some of the most common things to check for to get your house feeling and looking like new.
The Checklist
Siding
Clean siding with a pressure washer to keep mold from growing. Check all wood surfaces for weathering and paint failure. If wood is showing through, sand the immediate area and apply a primer coat before painting. If paint is peeling, scrape loose paint and sand smooth before painting.
Gutters and downspouts
Pull leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts. Reattach gutters that have pulled away from the house. Run a hose on the roof and check for proper drainage. If leaks exist, dry the area and use caulking or epoxy to seal the leak.
Exterior caulking
Inspect caulking and replace if deteriorating. Scrape out all the eroding caulk and re-caulk needed area.
Window sills, door sills, and thresholds
Fill cracks, caulk edges, repaint or replace if necessary.
Window and door screens
Clean screening and check for holes. If holes are bigger than a quarter, that is plenty of room for bugs to climb in. Patch holes or replace the screen. Save bad screen to patch holes next year. Tighten or repair any loose or damaged frames and repaint. Replace broken, worn, or missing hardware. Wind can ruin screens and frames if they are allowed flap and move so make sure they are securely fastened. Tighten and lubricate door hinges and closers.
Foundation
Check foundation walls, floors, concrete, and masonry for cracking, heaving, or deterioration. If a significant number of bricks are losing their mortar, call a foundation professional. If you can slide a nickel into a crack in your concrete floor, slab or foundation call a professional immediately.
Roof
Inspect roof surface flashing, eaves, and soffits. Perform a thorough cleaning. Check flashings around all surface projections and sidewalls.
Deck and porches
Check all decks, patios, porches, stairs, and railings for loose members and deterioration. Open decks and wood fences need to be treated every 4-6 years, depending on how much exposure they get to sun and rain. If the stain doesn’t look like it should or water has turned some of the wood a dark grey, hire a deck professional to treat your deck and fence.
Winter: Best Time to Remodel?
Why Winter Might be the Best Time to Remodel Your Home
Contractor Availability & Prices
Business is slower during the winter months and contractors may often be looking to make a little extra money during the holiday season by taking on your project. With less projects, contractors will be able to better focus their attention and time on you. Scheduling will be easier and smoother when there is less work as well. Since the spring and summer are the busy months, you will also be taking advantage of lower labor prices during the winter.
Product Inventory & Prices
During the slow season, you will often find some of the best deals on home goods. Retailers and manufacturers want to decrease their inventory before new lines are introduced right before the warmer seasons. So if you’ve been eyeing a great but pricey product earlier this year, now could be the time to check it out. By shopping now, you also don’t have to worry about items being out of stock or very difficult to find.
Convenience & Control
Concerned about air quality and ventilation of your home while work is being done indoors? There are currently many technologies and methods to control and reduce these problems. From plastic zip doors to sealing off heat ducts with filters to fans with negative pressure, several things can be used to ensure the most debris and fumes are contained to the work area. The work area will also be least interruptive to busy daily life during the winter when many are home for the holidays or on vacation.
So what kind of projects might you be interested in?
Remodeling is a great way to breathe new life into your home. Could it be time to freshen up those bathroom tiles and kitchen counter tops? Running out of cabinet storage or having trouble utilizing room space? Small details like unique light fixtures, sleek hardwood flooring and a fresh paint job can go a long way in bringing your home together.
M&M Siding & Roofing Inc. specializes in kitchen and bath remodeling. Your home renovation project will be in the trusted hands of seasoned professionals. Whether you are looking for more space, a better layout, or just an updated look, we can help take your home to the next level.
Keep Your Roof Safe This Winter
Winter is the most wonderful time of the year! Unfortunately, not for the roofs over our heads. Due to Buffalo’s brutal winters, the annual snowfall and ice accumulation is common for roof damage. If you notice leaks or water marks on the walls or ceiling of your home, damage is already done .
ROOF TYPES
Shingle roofs are the most likely to suffer as a result of a winter time installation. In order to prevent costly damages, some of us tried using a regular snow shovel to remove excessive snow from the top of our homes. As simple as it sounds, this technique isn’t the best way to remove snow and can cause its own damage to shingles. Rock salt or calcium chloride used to melt the ice and snow, also damage shingles. In fact, many roof manufacturers warn against this, and it may void your warranty.
GUTTERS
Gutters play a huge role in keeping your roof dry and clear during the wet winter months. Ones that are filled with blocks of ice, and flat roofs whose drains freeze will trap water on the roof system–without a doubt, this can cause roof or gutter damage. Clean gutters regularly. Cleaning will prevent clogging of ice. In most cases to prevent ice damage, the gutter system may even be removed from the roof. Talk about getting out of an icy situation.
SKYLIGHTS
Natural light enters through skylights. They also allow air ventilation. In winter, when snow piles up, it may cause leaks because of their “weep holes.” It is best to Have the snow and ice removed from around the skylight.
People pay an average of around $6,000 to install a new asphalt roof every year. M&M Siding & Roofing Inc. by Bruce Mosher’s mission is to provide innovative, long-lasting, energy-efficient, and ecologically friendly roofing solutions at affordable prices. Be protected this winter.M&M Siding & Roofing Inc. by Bruce Mosher delivers all these things and more. Please call us today to receive a free estimate on your roofing project!