Spring is right around the corner and that means it’s time to start thinking about preparing your home’s exterior for the new season. Springtime brings warmer days, longer evenings, and frequent rain showers in some areas. Here are five tips and tricks on how to prepare your home’s exterior for the upcoming change of season.
1. Clean Your Gutters
After a long winter and fall season, one of the first things you should do is clean out your roof’s gutters. Dead leaves, dirt, and other debris can accumulate in your gutters and drain spouts, causing the water to pool and have nowhere to go. This can lead to excess water entering your home’s foundation, getting underneath the roofing system itself, and even causing water to drain right down the sides of your home. Cleaning out your gutters at least once a year is recommended to keep your roofing system in tip-top shape, prevent moisture-caused rot to your foundation, and allows the materials on your home to perform in the way they are supposed to.
2. Visually Inspect Roofing and Siding
While you’re cleaning your gutters out, another important prep tip is to give a visual inspection to your entire home. When you’re thoroughly inspecting the roofing and siding, you want to look for nicks, scratches, or dents on metal; peeling, cracking, or missing asphalt shingles; rot on wood siding; and any other issues related to damages on your exterior materials. Doing routine visual inspections, and especially making sure to do one when the spring season approaches, can help you catch small issues before they become big problems, which can help you save time and money.
3. Clean Siding as Needed
If you have metal siding, this likely won’t be on your to-do list (view more about metal siding in the ARCHITECTURE section of Latest News). However, if you have vinyl or even wood plank siding, you’re likely going to need to spend some time in the spring cleaning off your exterior walls. Especially with vinyl, areas that are frequently shaded usually end up having a green, algae-like substance on them. You’ll likely want to scrub and wash this off to get your vinyl looking new again.
4. Flowerbeds & Landscaping Maintenance
Another way to prep your home’s exterior for springtime is to clean up any flowerbeds and landscaping around your house. Getting rid of any dead shrubbery, laying down fresh mulch, and pulling any weeds is a great starting point. Doing this type of maintenance can also help you get an up-close look at your siding and foundation. Keep your eye out for anything that looks damaged, rotted, or just “off” while you’re (literally) in the weeds.
5. Patio & Deck Maintenance
With warmer weather and longer days approaching, another way to prepare is to get your outdoor living spaces ready to go to enjoy the upcoming season. Getting your patio or deck area cleaned off, furniture put back out, and grill cleaned off are great ways to start prepping your space. You may even find some areas for renovation in these spaces.
There are many other ways to get your home prepared and ready for the spring season. You can prep your lawn, purchase flowers, repaint doors, add new exterior light fixtures, and many more options. These five tips are a great starting point to help you keep your home’s curb appeal maximized.
