Whether it’s to preserve the value of your home or ensure it’s safe throughout the year, seasonal care for your house’s exterior is crucial to keep it looking great.
After all, having a well-maintained exterior protects your home from the elements, enhances the curb appeal, makes it energy efficient, and prolongs its physical strength.
Considering something as simple as AC repair can cost anywhere between $100 to $4,000, timely maintenance can save you a ton of money on such costly repairs.
This article takes you through every step of maintaining your home while detailing each season’s crucial exterior care considerations.
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What Should You Be Maintaining All Year Round?
While we will discuss home exterior maintenance for each season, there are some tasks you should be doing no matter what the weather looks like, especially if you want your house to withstand these weather changes.
Keeping Everything Clean
Regular cleaning is essential to maintain the longevity and appearance of your home’s exterior. Even when using weather-resistant materials, grime, dirt, debris, and mildew can accumulate on various surfaces, leading to inevitable wear and tear over time. So, proper cleaning and upkeep can help prevent costly repairs or restorations down the road.
You can use a mild detergent and soft-bristle brush to clean wood, vinyl, fiber, or PVC sidings. For doors, windows, and shutters, take a mixture of water and detergents and use a soft cloth to wipe them thoroughly but not aggressively. Don’t forget about your porch or deck; give it a regular sweep and a deep clean once every two weeks.
Landscaping Checks
While landscaping is not technically the exterior of your house, it does affect its overall appearance. Proper landscaping is crucial to enhancing your home’s curb appeal and protecting against weather-related issues. Plus, a well-maintained yard also creates a welcoming atmosphere and can even increase your property’s value.
Common landscaping tasks include mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, pruning, mulching, watering, etc. You can also solve weed-related problems by installing a non-woven felt landscape barrier. Plus, it comes with the added benefit of soil erosion prevention and moisture retention, ensuring your plants get all nutrients and remain healthy.
Timely Repairs
Addressing exterior repairs on time is crucial to maintaining the structural integrity of your home. Waiting until the last moment can mean further time-consuming and expensive damage. The warmer months of the year are convenient for checking your house’s integrity and evaluating any repairs that may be needed.
For minor roof leaks, cracked siding, or peeling paint, you should do a prompt touch-up and repair the damages instead of waiting for it to worsen. When DIY-ing, always evaluate the knowledge and skills you have before the attempt so you don’t end up causing further damage. Don’t hesitate to hire a professional for advanced repairs because they can do the job correctly if necessary.
Exterior Home Maintenance For Each Season
Now that we’ve discussed what needs to be done all year round, it’s time to look at the different home maintenance challenges each season brings and how to stay ahead of them.
Spring
While springtime brings in fresh warmth, it also comes with a fresh set of home maintenance chores due to the wet and cold winter months. If not addressed in time, these can cause damage to the exterior of your home.
Start by inspecting the roof, siding, downspouts, and gutters for debris or winter damage. Draining is often a leading concern, so watch out for disconnected spouts or loose gutters and run some water down them to ensure they’re unclogged. While working on the gutters, look at the roof for loose tiles, shingles, and moss growth.
Next, check exterior doors, windows, and screens for their caulking and weatherstripping; in case of shrinkage or cracks, seal it up before it worsens. Similarly, use a pressure washer to remove moss build-up and dirt for the exterior siding, stucco, and even your patios, decks, and garden pathways. Replace any damaged wood, screens, and windows, or give it a touch-up for wear and tear.
Summer
Home maintenance takes the back seat once the sun is out and the warmth fully kicks in, especially for the house’s exterior. However, stay on top of specific projects because it can get too easy to ignore maintenance with all the summer fun.
Prepare to stay cool by cleaning the vents, air ducts, and exhaust fans, and also service your HVAC systems to maintain the coolness. You must also clean your windows or screens and consider sun-blocking treatments to keep the heat out.
Summer is also the perfect time for bugs and pests, so you must be on watch. Schedule an evaluation for pest control and take necessary precautions to keep them away. You can also grow pest-repellent plants and regularly maintain the lawn so these unfriendly guests don’t make your home theirs.
You should consider adding a fresh coat of paint. The bright sun will throw light on ugly mold, cracks, or dullness on surfaces, whether it’s the exterior walls, sidewalk, curb, or driveway. So, clean away mold, fill up the cracks, and repaint to boost your home’s curb appeal.
Fall
While the fall season is about enjoying a hot cup of cider and carving pumpkins, it certainly comes with a new and refreshed maintenance list for your home’s exterior. The fall leaves, cooling weather, and eventually the kick of winter require tackling tasks any homeowner can do.
Your first priority should be to recheck the gutters and downspouts. Cleaning these regularly removes any clogging so the water flows away from your house, presenting water damage; this is obviously because leaves and other debris are common during the autumn months.
You must also inspect windows and doors for cracks and seal any air leaks. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, sealing up drafty homes can save up to 20 percent in heating and cooling bills, so weatherstripping is the best way to reduce energy consumption costs.
Similarly, get professional help to check your roof from top to bottom thoroughly. Common issues to watch out for include cracks or wind damage on ridge shingles and the flashing around vents, valleys, or chimneys. You should scan the gutters for any granular residue, which may indicate the roof’s coating is coming off.
Lastly, turn off exterior faucets and underground irrigation systems to prevent them from freezing and bursting, especially if you live in a region with freezing temperatures. All you have to do is close the shut-off valves of outdoor faucets and open the small cap on the faucet to drain the line.
Winter
The holidays are the only thing to consider as the temperature falls and days get shorter. Exterior maintenance is crucial since the colder months can be pretty harsh on your house. So, you must closely monitor maintenance tasks to avoid any damage or last-minute calls to professionals amidst a storm.
While you did this during the fall months, checking the doors and windows once again is crucial to seal off any drafts and prevent leaks. Don’t forget to clean the chimney, furnace, fireplace, and HVAC vents to prevent blockages and keep your heating systems running smoothly as it gets colder.
You should be extra cautious about water accumulating around your home’s foundation. To avoid this, test the sump pump to ensure it’s draining the water away from your house; if needed, ask for professional help or refer to the owner’s manual for basic testing and maintenance.
Considering the fall has just passed, clean your gutters again; clogged gutters can cause ice dams, water damage, loosened fittings, and pest-related issues. You must also trim overgrown branches or trees to prevent hazardous incidents during windstorms.
On a side note, if you have any outdoor furniture, it is time to pack it up. Clean the furniture well before storing it indoors, whether it’s plastic, wicker, resin, or wood. However, metal or teak furniture is fine outdoors all year round; just give it a regular wipe-down so it stands the test of time.
A Wrap On Seasonal Home Exterior Maintenance
Your home is where you spend most of your time, so taking care of it just as much as you do for yourself is essential. Thus, having a checklist to remind you of such monthly and annual tasks is a fantastic way to stay on top of your home maintenance. With our guide, you can take a preventive approach to your home maintenance to maintain its worth and length of life.
Choosing the right contractor is essential for a successful backyard remodel. To be matched with trusted, pre-vetted contractors in the your area, contact GreatBuildz today at (818.317.3567) or visit our website for more information.
