Warm Weather Checklist

As the warm weather has arrived and we spend more time outdoors, it’s important to take some time and make sure your house and property is looking its best before those Summer celebrations begin.

  1. Gutters and Downspouts – leaves and debris collect through the winter in many instances clog downspouts. Remove any debris and rinse both gutter and downspouts to make sure the water is going where it’s supposed to. If your downspouts get clogged and allow water to back up, you will face potential rot problems in your fascia and soffit. This is a good time to visually inspect all your soffits as well.
  2. Inspect Your Roof – If your roof is a moderate pitch and you’re able to walk it without too much risk, you’ll be able to get up close and personal for a good visual inspection. However, if it’s cutup with high pitches, a visual from the ground will suffice. Check for broken or raised shingles. If it’s raised, chances are you have a nail pop and a potential leak. Check the valleys for damaged shingles and check all flashing. If you have a fireplace, check cricket to make sure its diverting the water flow and make sure all flashing is in tack. Check any caulking as well and replace as needed.
  3. Siding – Check all siding for broken pieces and replace as needed. This is a good time to give your siding a good pressure washing. I also like to add a “green” mildew cleaner to the process to make sure all my siding is super clean before I replace missing caulk and do any paint repairs.
  4. Window and Door Sills – Check for rot and replace as needed. Check all caulk around sills and replace where needed. This is one of the biggest culprit areas for lost energy so make sure all your window and door sills are tight and well-sealed.
  5. Inspect Attic – Inspect your attic for any water stains and any open areas around vents which sometime allow for unwanted guests. Look up and inspect your roof decking for any dark stains. If you see stains, you probably have a leak of some sort. Any leak is a bad leak. At this point, it’s best to have a tape measure handy so you can measure to walls and coordinate the location to the roof so you can try and find the source of the leak. Winter months are not only dark and cold, but they also seem to lend themselves for attic squirrel invasions, so check to make sure you don’t have any open areas around gable vents and soffits. A squirrel can fit through a hole that’s just a tad bit larger than a quarter, and once you get them in your attic, they can cause a tremendous amount of damage, not to mention their food source and feces will be everywhere.
  6. Check your Crawl Space for Water and Mold – Throw on some old coveralls and grab your flashlight cause it’s time to get dirty. Crawl under your house and inspect your entire crawl space for water and any visible mold on floor joists and floor decking. Make sure any vents are unobstructed so there is enough air flow to keep your crawl space dry as a bone. Crawl spaces and basements are the biggest draws for potential mold growth so make sure you keep these areas clean and dry.
  7. Decks – You should pressure wash your deck every year and seal it every 2-3 years. Make sure there are no nail pops or screws protruding and check for rot. Check for splits in deck boards and replace as needed. Decks are a big hang out area through the Summer and many times you’re on them barefooted, so make sure any potential hazards to your feet are kept to a minimum. Stumping your toe on nail pop ups and splinters in your feet are a great way to ruin a fun time outdoors
  8. Air Conditioner – Change all your filters and have your system cleaned and serviced by a professional. When you need it, you want to make sure it’s working as efficient as possible. You should change your furnace filter every 30 days
  9. Foundation – Clean all leaf and gardening debris from around your foundation. Prune all foundation plants and pull mulch away from edge of house. Mulch holds water and you don’t want water against your foundation. Visually inspect for any cracks or settling.
  10. Lawn Sprinklers – Turn your sprinkler on and run through your different zones to make sure they are all working properly with the desired amount of time. Check all pop-up heads to make sure they are spraying where you want them to.