Spring Cleaning – Exterior Things Homeowners Need to Accomplish

Spring Cleaning – Exterior Things Homeowners Need to Accomplish

It might not feel like it quite yet, but spring–and the Spring Cleaning that comes with it–are right around the corner! Spring is a good opportunity for you to assess how your home’s exterior weathered the winter and to plan for maintenance and repairs. Taking the time to maintain your exterior now will save you a lot of money and headaches down the road.

  • Whether you’re cleaning your stairs or your exterior, it’s always best to start from the top. For safety’s sake, wait for a sunny day when your roof is dry and free from ice before you get up on the roof and inspect it for loose and damaged shingles. Repairing your roof before it goes through another year of wear and tear can prevent inconvenient and costly leaks later on.
  • Once you’re satisfied with the condition of your roof, it’s time to give those gutters a good cleaning! This task will prepare your home for the year ahead–or at least the months that will pass before it’s time to clean your gutters for the fall. If you had problems with ice damming in your gutters over the winter, now is the time to talk to a roofing professional about preventing that situation next year.
  • Next, check the eaves under your roof and make sure there are no soffits or other parts missing. Birds, raccoons, and other animals can get into your roof through gaps in the eaves and start nesting. Inspecting your eaves will help make sure you keep your local wildlife out of your insulation.
  • After making sure your roof and siding are in good condition, it’s time to see how your siding fared through the winter. Snow and slush typically leave most houses a little grimy, but a rinse with a pressure washer or handheld nozzle can do the job for most exterior walls. However, peeling paint or cracks in your siding are a sign of trouble to come, and you should repair those problems in order to keep your siding in good condition for the year ahead.
  • A winter’s accumulation of snow, slush, and dust can leave your home’s windows a little grimy. However, if you clean your windows before you clean your siding, you may end up having to do the job twice! This task will help brighten up your home’s interior as well as making the exterior sparkle.
  • Your exterior doors may be a little dingy from the winter as well. Cleaning them off as part of your spring cleaning routine, while relatively easy compared to gutter cleaning and siding inspection, can still make a big difference in the appearance of your home. Before you start, make sure you pick a cleaning method that is appropriate for your doors’ paint and materials.
  • The winter freeze-thaw cycle can be tough on sidewalks, patios, and driveways, especially if they are constructed of solid concrete. Although you’ll want warm weather for repairing a concrete surface, you should inspect your walkways and patios in early spring so that you can spot problems early and plan on repairing them.
  • Spring cleaning is more than just a way to make sure your house looks neat, clean, and well-maintained. It’s a way to keep your home structurally sound and spot minor problems before they turn into major ones. Paying attention to these tasks during your spring cleaning will make sure that your home is ready for whatever the weather brings in the year to come.
    We at Urban Siding & Exteriors pride ourselves on helping homeowners keep their homes in the best condition possible all year long. Feel free to contact us if you have questions about roof repair, ice damming, siding repair, or other maintenance concerns.

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