Proper maintenance is vital for the long-term well-being of your home and family. As the saying goes “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Preventing problems is far cheaper and more effective than running around fixing them after they’ve already begun damaging your home. Last month we discussed 5 Indoor maintenance tips for maintaining the health and safety of your home. Here is a list of 5 important outdoor maintenance tips that every homeowner should know.
Maintain gutters and downspouts
Gutters and downspouts need to be cleaned at least twice a year. Proper maintenance requires inspection after major storms and other extreme weather events to ensure they are not clogged or damaged in any way. Your gutters and downspouts carry excess water away from your home. This prevents the water from running down the walls of your home, staining the outside of your home, and finding its way into the walls, foundation, basements, and crawlspace of your home. They are the first line of defense against a buildup of excess moisture, mold, and mildew in your home.
Clean the solar panel on your solar attic fan
Even the most dependable solar attic fan needs to have its solar panel cleaned occasionally to maintain peak operating condition. To ensure your attic is properly ventilated and your ventilation fan is working at full capacity, clean the solar panel with a soft cloth. While doing this, check for cracks or other damage. Proper maintenance for a SolarRoyal SR1800 Solar Attic Fan is very easy. SR1800 fans are designed to stand up to the harshest conditions and they are tested to meet the requirements of the ASTM E330/14 Texas Windstorm Certification and the standards of the TAS100a-95 certification for Miami-Dade County. However, occasionally cleaning the solar panel helps maintain peak performance.
Trim trees and shrubs
Trim trees and shrubs around your home regularly. Trees and other vegetation around your home provide potential maintenance hazards. Branches may blow onto your roof in severe weather. Twigs, leaves, and other debris end up falling onto your roof even in the best weather. This debris gets washed into your gutters and downspouts, clogging your drainage system and–if left to build up long enough–causing your gutters to overflow. This completely defeats the purpose of your drainage system by running water down the walls of your home, contributing to a buildup of mold and allergens as well as causing long-term structural damage.
Inspect and properly maintain wooden decks, railing, windowsills, and steps for rot, touchup paint, stain, wood finish
Even the most well-built exterior wooden structures such as decks, porches, rails, and steps will eventually decay without proper maintenance. As the wood begins to rot, these structures pose a serious safety hazard. Wooden windowsills face the same danger. As the windowsills deteriorate, you face the risk of compromising the seal around the windows. This causes the conditioned air from your home to leak out, putting unnecessary strain on your HVAC system, eventually cause a need for expensive repairs or even a full replacement for the system. Any paint and wood stain on the structures outside of your home also require periodic touchups. Paint and wood stains help protect the structure from decay, reducing long-term maintenance costs.
Pressure wash soffits and siding
Pressure washing the outside of your home removes any mold or mildew buildup before it spreads out of control. Pay special attention to soffits and siding. Mold and mildew are long-term safety hazards. Not only do they threaten the integrity of your home’s structure but they also threaten the health of your family. Mold and mildew compromise the air quality of your home. This is especially concerning for those with asthma or other respiratory problems.