People tend to get so caught up in making the interior of their house look perfect that they often forget to pay sufficient attention to the exterior. However, neither one is more important than the other.
Both need to be kept well maintained to ensure your home functions efficiently, safely and securely, as well as retaining its overall aesthetic. Here are some top tips for keeping the exterior of your home in fine working order.
Make a plan
Before you go steaming into fixing everything in sight and calling in all the help you can get, take some time to sit down and come up with a thorough plan. This includes a checklist of areas that need prioritizing, a budget, predicted costs of repairs, as well as working out what you can do yourself and what will require professional help.
There is no way you can sort everything out at once, so it is important to be sensible and logical about how you are going to go about it. It may also depend on the season that you decide to make changes to the exterior, as summer will demand different priorities to those in winter, for example clearing out the gutter might be considered more urgent following the falling fall than after spring.
Roof maintenance
The practice of maintaining a solid roof over your head that will keep you warm and dry is fairly vital to the wellbeing of your day-to-day life. In general, asphalt roofs are fairly robust and tend to last anywhere between 20 and 30 years before they need replacing, even if they don’t look too old.
However, there is always the possibility that a hole might form or one of the tiles cracks due to adverse weather conditions, which could lead to leakages, damp, or the forming of mold. If you notice this, it is a good idea to look online for “roofing contractors near me” to get an idea of how much the repair or new roof will cost, before proceeding to factor it into your budget.
Gutter maintenance
Gutters play an integral role in the smooth functioning of your house and must be given the due care accordingly. A gutter clogged with debris, such as fallen asphalt, leaves, twigs, and moss can cause significant water damage to your home. Such is the importance of maintaining clear gutters in good working order that some experts predict if you don’t, it could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars, decreasing the market value of your house and leading to infestations of rodents and insects.
Although it is a tedious fix to ensure they are clear, it is very simple, requiring just a ladder and a pair of gardening gloves to carry out the job. If you don’t feel particularly comfortable doing it yourself, then there are countless different companies who will all send someone out to do the job for you.
Pathway maintenance
Over the years, patios and pathways have a tendency to start falling apart from all the thousands of footfalls they experience, no matter how well they have been laid. It can also be affected by weather conditions, with very hot climates causing expansion and susceptibility in very cold climates to crack.
Pressure washing is an effective way of cleaning off any dirt that has collected, making weathered slabs look brand new. While old algae and ingrained mud may not come off immediately, a bit of scrubbing and chemicals should get it looking up to standard once again.
Depending on the size and type of patio and pathways you own, replacing them completely can cost anywhere between $800 and $4,000 plus. This means that you need to decide carefully what the best solution is before you start making the investment, as it can end up being a fairly expensive business.
Overall, it is clear that there is a whole range of different aspects of a house that need to be regularly attended to. While some may require substantial investment to ensure the problem is solved, the majority just need small fixes to prevent the issue from getting any worse.
Remembering to keep on top of the wellbeing of your home’s exterior might feel tedious for some, yet it will be well worth the effort in the long run, to avoid it falling into disrepair and costing a fortune further down the line. It is generally recommended that homeowners inspect the exterior at least once every six months in order to catch potential complications before they arise.
A home is often the most important place in a person’s life, so it makes sense to make it a place where you can relax and unwind, and enjoy time with family. However, older homes might need some updating, or you might have some ideas for your dream home that you want to add. This is where remodeling can really make a difference in how you use the space. If you want are looking to make some changes to your home, this guide shows you some hot remodel trends in 2019.
