The Role of Seasonal Maintenance in Preventing Costly Repairs

—

Homeownership and Stability

Homeownership is considered to be a pillar of stability and individual accomplishment. A home to create life, make memories and escape. Yet that stability is on the structure itself. Neglecting the gradual silent indicators of decay and disrepair can make the most valuable thing to you a very costly liability. The key to escape this trap is no secret, it is regular, seasonal maintenance. By addressing minor matters on a year-round basis, you can avoid the type of calamitous breakdowns which translate into four-figure and five-figure repair bills.

This is not about taking on a little extra thing to add to the already overloaded to-do list, it is really a matter of being smart and proactive. Think of it as an investment in your home’s future and your own peace of mind. Just by taking a few minutes to check your roof, gutters, heat and air conditioning, and the exterior surfaces about every season you will save yourself a ton of stress and money later. We can deconstruct why this proactive is one of the most responsible things you can do as a homeowner.

The Roof is the First Defense of Your Home

Your roof is taking the beating of all seasons- scorching summer sun, torrent seasonal rains, autumn leaves, and winter ice. Lacking attention to it is a guaranteed invitation to calamity. Even a little, undetected leakage can cause rotted wood, ruined insulation and a severe mold issue within your walls and attic.

Spring Roof Check-Up

Once all the winter snow and ice has melted, then it is an excellent time to check on your roof. Find shingles that are curling, cracked or missing. Be careful of the flashing of chimneys, vents, and skylights, which are prone to failure. Any hole that is compromised is an invitation to water to creep in during the heavy spring storms. It is much less expensive to fix these small problems in the early stages such as putting a few shingles, or re-sealing the flashing, than it is to clean up a large amount of water damage.

Autumn Preparation

Getting rid of debris on your roof before the winter comes is important. Heaps of wet leaves may trap moisture against your shingles causing them to rot at an increased rate and algae or moss to grow. Another visual check is also appropriate now so that you can be sure that your roof can hold the snow and the pressure of ice dams. One needs a sound and properly-maintained roof that will cover all that is beneath the roof.

The Unsung Hero: Your Gutter System

One of the least considered parts of a home is gutters, but they have a very important role to play. They push thousands of gallons of water off the foundation of your house, its siding and landscaping. Once they are clogged, this water has no place to flow but down your walls and to the ground just beside your foundation.

The Dangers of Clogged Gutters

During fall and spring, gutters are clogged with leaf, twigs and other debris. Otherwise they will overflow. Such overflow may cause a number of expensive issues:

• Damage to Foundation:The pooling of water on your foundation may result in foundation cracks as well as water leakages resulting in a wet basement and weakening the structural integrity of your house.
• Damage to Siding and Masonry:The water continuously dripping down your siding may cause rot in wood, staining in your vinyl siding, and mortar removal in your brick and stone.
• Ice Dams:This occurs when gutters blocked with ice in winter form ice dams. Melted snow accumulates, refreezes at the overhang of your roof, and may cause considerable damage by pressing water up under your shingles.

Washing your gutters at least two times a year, once in late spring and once in late fall, is the job that cannot be compromised. It is a non-complicated, preventive measure that can avoid a chain of costly, and complicated fixes.

Breathing Easy: Maintenance of HVAC Systems

The core of comfort in your home is your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. It labours so hard to ensure you are cool during summer, and warm during winter. It is like any complex machine that needs frequent tune ups to run effectively and continually. Such neglect will cause not only increased energy expenses but also the danger of a total failure of the entire system, when it is most needed, usually in the most extreme weather.

Biannual Professional Check-Ups

Have your air conditioner and furnace serviced by a professional in the spring and the fall respectively. A technician will also clean the parts, verify the levels of refrigerant and electrical contacts and verify that the system is in optimum operation. This preventive maintenance will save your unit life, increase the efficiency of your operation, and will save you the panic attacks of the mid-summer air conditioner malfunction or the freezing of your unit on the lowest night of the winter.

One thing you can easily change on your own is to replace the air filter once in 1-3 months. When the filter becomes clogged, the system will have to labor more, increasing your energy usage and unnecessary stress to the motor.

Keeping Your Curb Appeal and Structural Integrity

Your home and the roof, as well as inner mechanisms, are as important as the exterior. As time passes, your siding, driveway, and walkways collect a coating of dirt, algae, mold, and mildew. This accumulation goes beyond being something unpleasant to look at; it may have actual, permanent harm.

Mold or mildew may dissolve paint and building siding materials and algae can cause walking paths and driveways to be very slippy. This grime is able to trap moisture which may speed up the rotting of wood and dissolve the mortar between bricks. It is here that professional cleaning plays the crucial role of seasonal maintenance. Residential driveway and siding power washing services in Indianapolis IN may be among the widest decisions that homeowners make in order to safeguard their investment. A professional clean eliminates the damaging contaminants, regaining the look of your home and eliminating the wear and tear of the exterior surfaces of your buildings. This lowly thing might save your siding, your concrete, and your brick.

Being in Charge of the Health of Your Home

A responsible homeowner also involves changing your mindset to stop reacting but rather be proactive. You do not have to wait until the ceiling leaks, the basement gets flooded, or the AC goes out to start doing something about it. When you combine these seasonal maintenance activities with your annual routine, you are not only doing any chores, you are literally safeguarding your biggest investment.

An inspection of the roof, the gutters, a professional service to your HVAC and exterior, a weekend is a tip you reap the benefits many times over. It spares you the economic induction of finding yourself in the situation of having to make hefty repairs to your house whose causes remain unknown and the invaluable peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that your home is safe, secure, and in a good condition.

—

This content is brought to you by Sky Link Building

iStockPhoto

The post The Role of Seasonal Maintenance in Preventing Costly Repairs appeared first on The Good Men Project.

View the full article