When you’ve only recently purchased your own home, it can seem like an overwhelming change of pace compared to living as a tenant or with your parents. There’s nobody to guide you through the trials and tribulations of keeping your home clean and intact. When you get your place, you have to learn it all from scratch. It’s helpful to have something basic to work with, so here are a few things to add to your home maintenance checklist.
They say that first impressions are everything. Nowhere is this more apparent than with home and yard maintenance. You must present your home in the best possible way for your guests and neighbors. You don’t have to keep everything spick and span to impress other people. Rather, you want to give the best impression that shows you care about your home and aim to make it as beautiful as possible.
Where better to start than with your driveway. If there’s anything that will give off an impactful first impression, it’s the state of your driveway and front lawn. After a particularly harsh season like autumn or winter, your driveway probably won’t look perfect. The constant mud and snow might have if the cold weather didn’t stop you from cleaning it. Come spring, you’ll have a driveway that doesn’t look very presentable. Solving this is pretty easy, though.
You don’t have to spend hours cleaning away at it with a mop, either. A much quicker and more effective solution would be to use a pressure washer. It’s a very convenient way to make your driveway look brand new after dirt as accumulated on top of it. All you need is a water hose and a few minutes of your time. Before you know it, you’ll have a gorgeous driveway worth admiring again.
Clear ice dams
Speaking of cold weather inconveniences, ice is something that can ruin your day. Ice is pretty tricky during winter, whether it causes slippage or falls from the edges of roofs to cause injury. It can pose more than one kind of problem, especially when it starts clogging up important drains. Your gutters are very vulnerable to ice blockages, and this is something you need to take care of pronto.
A lot of gutters get clogged up during the winter due to the accumulation of ice. This prevents them from draining any excess water from the roof. The water has nowhere to go but down, leading to a slow erosion of the integrity of your roof. Very quickly this will lead to leaks and start ruining your attic. Because of this, breaking these “ice dams” is crucial before they get out of control.
The most important thing is to notice the ice dams in time. They might not do much damage at first, but it gets worse the longer you wait. If you take note of any ice dams, just take a broom or rake and try to break them off. If they are particularly large and tough, you can use other tools and get up close and personal with them. Anything that can break the ice should be enough. Sometimes, it’s ice alongside snow that’s blocking up the gutters. Even a bit of movement will break them up, as long as you hit the right spots. To prevent further ice dams from forming, consider gutter meshes for your roof’s protection.
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Freshen up the paint
Even the best paint job will only last you so long. Your home’s exterior is constantly exposed to the elements, and this destroys the paint on the façade. It’s not a good look for your home, either. Deteriorating paint jobs give your home a run-down look, and that’s something you want to avoid.
Check your home for any areas that might have a particularly bad case of paint chipping. If you see discoloration or holes in the façade, it might be time to consider renovating it. There are numerous benefits to a fresh paint job. It has a functional role as well as an aesthetic one. In addition, your walls need this layer of paint and finish in order to stay impervious to moisture. Without it, they become vulnerable to mold growth and water damage.
A fresh paint job also allows you to get a bit more creative with your choice. You can choose a more outlandish color or even opt for some patterns on top of it. If you’re thinking about redoing your garden, you can choose a façade color to match it well in advance.
Keep your home cool
Even once the colder seasons pass, a homeowner’s job isn’t finished. Warm weather might be pleasant at first, but the overwhelming amount of heat that comes during summer isn’t. It’s the reason why every home needs an air conditioner. It’s the one thing about keeping your home from becoming a sauna during the summer. However, this handy device needs to be maintained regularly so that it can work efficiently.
Dust and grime tend to clog up the AC’s filters and cause them to be less effective. Not to mention, this can cause the AC to expel these particles and trigger allergies more easily. You can always try to take them out and clean them yourself, but this is less effective than you might think. Instead, it would be wiser to find a local air conditioning service to take care of it. There’s no easy way to keep it clean throughout the year, so you might have to have it cleaned at the start of every season.
Inspect the roof
The roof is an integral part of your home’s protection from the elements. You need to keep it intact to prevent moisture and mold from seeping in through it. It’s true that the roof is a tough construction, but it’s not something that stays intact forever. Even the highest quality roofs only last a few decades before needing replacements. Repairs will need to be applied every once in a while. However, opting for Metal Roofing solutions can significantly extend this lifespan, offering durability and fewer repair needs over time.
When a strong storm passes, it’s not unlikely for a shingle or two to buckle or come off the roof. This might not seem like a big deal, but even the slightest problem with the integrity of your roof can cause moisture to penetrate. Repairing the roof is a crucial move you should make before any rainy season. The question is: how do you notice some of the more subtle signs of a failing roof?
Other than inspecting it up close, there are a few other ways to get closer to the heart of the problem. You can check your attic for signs of moisture damage or mold. It’s as simple as seeing a streak of water on the wall or hearing any dripping. Once you know roughly what the problem is, you need to figure out where it is. The general vicinity of the noticeable problem should be inspected. There’s often an issue with the shingles or the flashing near other parts of your roof. You could make the repairs yourself, but calling in a professional is always recommended. You don’t want to get injured while fixing up your roof. It’s a common enough occurrence that homeowners don’t always rush to do their own repairs.
Conclusion
New homeowners might find preparing and taking care of their home stressful at first, but it pretty much becomes second nature at some point. Take these examples into consideration and you’ll see that it’s really not so bad. All you need is a good start and you’ll eventually get the hang of it. If you want to know more about home improvement and garden decor bookmark this website.
