 |
|||
|
|||
 |
Spring MaintenanceBy Jim Sulski Summary: Spring is the best time to do exterior maintenance on your home, and this article will guide you through several easy do-it-yourself projects. When spring has sprung, it's a good time to conduct some exterior maintenance in your home. The freeze-thaw cycle we go through in the winter can be tough on a even a well-maintained home. And a lot of problems occur in the winter but go unnoticed until spring because you don't tend to walk around the house in the winter. Also, because spring is a rainy season, it's best to tackle any problems early on. What follows is a checklist of exterior problems that can spring up after winter, and the way to remedy those problems. For example, the first step of a spring tune-up is to make a visual inspection of the house. Especially look for trees branches that are now dragging across the roof or a wall. Trim them back because as spring comes, you'll get a lot of wind and the scraping will damage the roofing materials and siding materials. Eventually, the branches can wear a hole through the siding or roofing and start a leak. Also, check the perimeters of exterior doors and windows to make sure caulking is still in place. If it's missing or is worn away, recaulk. Check windows to make sure that the glazing compound that seals the glass panes to the wood structure is also in good shape. If not, reglaze. Also, use a pair of binoculars to check out the upper level of a two-story house. Watch for places where animals might have tried to get in and look for roof shingles that may be starting to curl. And, check the masonry on the chimney to see that the mortar is still in place between the bricks. Next, inspect the foundation around the house. The freeze and thaw cycle may have moved a sidewalk, patio or driveway so that it is now sloping towards the house instead of away from the house. As a result, rainwater will pool against the house instead of running away from the structure, increasing the risk of water entering the house through the foundation. Slabs can be re-elevated so that they slope in the correct direction. Or they may need to be torn up and rebuilt. Both types of work will probably require the services of a professional. In the meantime, you can seal any cracks where the sidewalk meets the house with roofing cement, a thick black mastic. It's not attractive but it serves the purpose. Where there are no sidewalks, check to make sure that the ground also slopes away from the house. If it doesn't, take a wheelbarrow of dirt and dump it alongside the house so the grade pitches away from the building. Next, clean out the gutters even if you cleaned them in the fall. Oak trees will keep a lot of leaves through the winter and then start dropping them off in the spring. And with spring storms, you want to make sure they're all cleaned out. Also, check the gutters to make sure they're firmly attached to the building. Ice and icicles put a lot of weight on the gutters and could have pulled them away from the building, allowing water to drop behind the gutters and on the building. Also check the facia board to make sure it hasn't pulled away. Loose gutters can be reattached by pounding in the spikes that fasten the gutters to the house. Extremely loose gutters should be positioned on a decline so that the water drains towards the downspout. Seal any leaks with gutter caulk and plug holes with patching kits. Replace any gutter sections with numerous leaks. Also, check the seams of the downspouts to make sure they haven't been split by ice expansion. When seams split, they allow rainwater to splash on the exterior walls of the home. One way to check for seam splits is to plug the end of the downspout and fill them up with water. Unfortunately, splits seams usually can't be repaired or patched. Instead, you may have to replace the length of damaged downspout. Next, while you're up on the ladder checking the gutters, check the lower level of roof shingles to make sure that they weren't damaged by ice dams found in the gutters. When ice accumulates in the gutter it can start moving up the roof. As it does, it gets under the roof tiles, pushes them up and pulls the nails out. And water starts to come into the attic through the nail holes. If the shingles are loose, gently pick up the first layer of tiles and secure the level of shingles underneath with roofing nails, suggests Wall. Next, to help minimize basement water seepage and flooding, consider disconnecting the gutter downspouts where they enter the ground and connect with municipal sewers (first check with your local municipality to see what they recommend). Cut the downspout with a hacksaw about a foot above where it enters the ground and remove the pipe that enters the ground. Place an elbow pipe over the bottom end of the vertical pipe from above so the elbow rests just above the ground. Place an extension over the elbow, so that water is directed towards an area where rainwater can drain. Secure the pieces with sheet metal screws. Then plug the drain hole with crumbled up newspapers and an inch or so of mortar cement. Next, inspect painted surfaces for flaking, bubbling, or discoloration of the paint - again damage from the freeze-thaw cycle. If you find a lot of flaking and bubbling, it may be the year to scrape and repaint the surface. Next, if you have a wooden porch or front steps, check that for winter damage, especially if you've spread rock salt on the surfaces. Look at the porch flooring for curvatures or bowing. If they have taken on water, they may be swelling. If the paint has worn away in high traffic areas, unfortunately you'll need to repaint the entire porch or steps to get a uniform color. Or, you can paint the high traffic area in a different color stripe. You can also paint up to a corner that turns so you won't notice the change in color. Next, if you have a deck, check the surface for small cracks, another consequence of the freeze-thaw cycle. Also, look for patches of mildew - a green algae growth - or gray or black spots. Either or both of these problems means the deck needs to be clean, treated and sealed. Although pressure-treated wood is immune from termite and fungus damage, it's not immune from water and ice damage
© by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. June 20, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
 |
|
|
|
RSS Feeds
|
