{image1}For homeowners in Milwaukee, spring represents the time of year when thoughts turn to the outdoors, cookouts and, not least of all, home maintenance. Having survived another blustery Wisconsin winter, a number of problems may become apparent with your home and the surrounding grounds.
With the cold temperatures hopefully behind us, a significant amount of proactive upkeep and maintenance needs in and around your home is necessary. The ultimate goal for this maintenance is to keep your major investment in the best condition possible while finding cost saving ways to extend the life and usefulness of your home.
To get started, read this spring home maintenance checklist of areas and systems to review:
Exterior siding, doors and windows
- Animal or insect infestation
- Roofing, gutters and downspouts
- Driveway, walkways and garage
- HVAC systems
Home exterior: Take a couple of hours during the month of May to check your home's siding, exterior walls, doors and windows for signs of deterioration. Loose window putty, gaps in caulking around doors and windows and chipped paint on wood surfaces may need repair or minor maintenance measures. Look for newly formed cracks in the mortar of brick and stone walls and repair as needed. Staying on top of this basic maintenance will help in extending the life of these systems, saving you the larger cost of replacement.
Unwanted visitors: Check for animal or insect infestation in your home's vents, chimney or access areas. This may reveal areas around your home that could use repair, covers and caulking. Obvious damage may occur to your house if this condition is left unattended, not to mention the addition of unwelcome guests in your home.
{image2}Roofing: Be sure to check your roof covering for loose, missing or damaged shingles. Also be sure to check on gutters and downspouts to see if cleaning is necessary. Check to ensure the downspout extensions are attached and clear of debris. If it is found that your roof needs repair or replacement, a number of insurance companies now offer homeowner premium reduction rates for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved impact resistant roofing products. These products vary from asphalt composition shingles to recycled, rubber and/or plastic composition roofing materials. Contact your homeowner's insurance company for more information on their preferred material listings, then contact a professional roofing contractor to get an estimate.
Driveway, walkways and garage: Active cracks in your driveway, walkway or garage areas may need to be sealed to prevent further damage. If cemented areas are sinking, a contractor may need to mud-jack (a process of drilling holes and filling below the concrete surface to lift the slab) the surface and lift the required areas. Keeping these access-way surfaces sealed works to minimize the more costly repairs over time.
HVAC: Cooling systems should be evaluated by a licensed Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) professional prior to operation each year. Service on the AC compressor unit (located outside of the home) should not occur until the outside ambient temperature is 65 degrees or higher, so plan to have this done in mid to late May. Homeowners can begin maintenance by clearing out debris from around the AC compressor unit and insuring the furnace filter is clean. Also check to insure the AC compressor unit is level and has not been knocked off balance. A 10 percent level variance is the maximum allowed to prevent damage.
Spring should be the time to celebrate a season of new life and the approaching months of summer. Protect your family and your greatest investment, your home, by establishing a seasonal checklist for your home. Make it part of your annual routine and build a good home maintenance habit/practice.
Dan Buttery is a professional home inspector and owner of Argus Inspections in Milwaukee Wisconsin. His Web site is argus-inspections.com.
