Thursday, May 27, 2010

Give your house a tuneup!

Your home's spring tuneup essentials!

As the weather warms and flowers are blooming, some homeowners are finalizing their spring-cleaning checklists. And even if you don’t plan to scrub every nook and cranny in your home, there are some tasks you shouldn't skip! As spring comes to a close, and we all get busy with summer activities and vacations, things can slip by the wayside. Make sure you have done a thorough inspection of your home to ensure everything is in good condition. While you’re washing windows and organizing closets, don’t forget to give your home a maintenance walk-through and take a few steps to keep it running smoothly and efficiently!

"Houses don't last when people don't take care of the obvious, and a small problem becomes a big problem," says David Lupberger, home-improvement expert for ServiceMagic and past president of the Master Builder Group, a design/build remodeling company.

There is always plenty of work to do, but you don't want to dedicate every beautiful spring weekend to working around the house. We've put together a list of what home-maintenance experts deem the essentials for spring. It will only take a couple of hours to evaluate your home with this checklist and determine what you'll need to do. If maintenance is needed, dedicate a few hours each weekend and you'll be done in no time.

As Lupberger suggests, let's "start high and work our way down."

Roof: Your first stop is the roof. If you want to tackle this task yourself, make sure you know what you're doing and are comfortable using a ladder and walking on an often-steep incline. You'll want to check the shingles for any curling, warping or cupping, and for any granule loss or cracking, advises Joan Crowe of the National Roofing Contractors Association. Also check the flashing, those metal pieces that serve as a transition from the roof to a vertical surface like a chimney.

"Do a visual inspection and see if anything is loose," Crowe says. "Make sure everything is secure. Circle around the house and take a looksee."

But Crowe strongly recommends that homeowners don't climb up there themselves.
"Hiring a professional is always the best way to go," she says.

When hiring a contractor to inspect your roof or make repairs, make sure you check their credentials and references. Ask for proof of insurance and get information about the materials they'll be using and any warranty that comes with them. When hiring any contractor to do work in and around your home, it's a good idea to use a company such as Home Solutions Connection (http://www.homesolutionsconnection.com/). They can eliminate the guesswork for you as they will have already vetted any contractor they recommend.

Attic: You often can find a problem with your roof by hunting around in the attic for leaks and moisture. If there is a moisture problem, Lupberger says you'll typically be able to smell it. Keep an eye out for any black mold or green algae, which can be killed using a mild solution of bleach and water. Crowe recommends hiring someone to handle this task, since full eradication can be difficult.

While you're up in your attic, look around for potential animal nests. Sometimes there are small openings that critters can creep through.

Another attic task: Check your insulation. Make sure it's not covering intake vents, Crowe says. And be sure you have enough. Lupberger says the recommendation for homes is R-38, which is 12 inches of blown-in insulation; if you have any less than that, your home isn't running efficiently. Unless a homeowner is experienced in installing insulation, Lupberger would recommend hiring a pro to handle any augmentation.

"As you move into summer, it'll keep your home cooler and you'll use less electricity for your air conditioner," Lupberger says.

Gutters: You may have dutifully cleaned your gutters in the fall, but a spring check is even more important. Many homeowners would be surprised to learn that more water damage happens to gutters in the spring.

The freeze-and-thaw cycles of winter, and the snow loads, may shorten the life of your gutters and downspouts," rendering them inadequate to handle heavy spring rains, says Tony Cobb, president of the National Rain Gutter Contractors Association.

As you're clearing debris from the gutters, be sure to check a few other things:

Make sure the back of the gutter is secured and that no water is leaking behind the gutter.

Make sure your downspouts are secured to your home and that there is no blockage. You can check for blockage with a leaf blower (listen for the sound of resistance inside) or by tapping on the downspout and listening for a hollow sound.

Make sure water is diverting at least 3 feet away from your home's foundation. Check for any low spots next to the foundation. Keeping water away from your foundation is the most important job of gutters and downspouts.

Cobb reminds homeowners that cleaning the gutters is a dangerous job that kills and seriously injures hundreds of people every year. Hiring a seasoned professional who is comfortable climbing a ladder is the best way to ensure safety.

Air conditioning: After a chilly winter, you may not be thinking about the hot summer ahead. But acting early to service your air conditioner may get you a discount on service costs and will ensure that you have a cool place to go during that first heat wave while your neighbors are scrambling.

Donald Prather with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America recommends getting an air-conditioning system checked twice a year: before winter and before summer.

"That way you know entering seasonal changes that the equipment has been serviced for the specific season you are entering," he says.

Regular maintenance by homeowners and professionals can save money by lowering energy bills and repair costs, Prather says.

Take a walk outside: Do a complete circle of your house's exterior, checking for peeling paint or siding. Recaulk as needed and touch up any paint. "The only purpose of paint is to seal wood surfaces and protect the wood from the elements," Lupberger says. He says touch-ups can extend the life of your home's paint job by two or three years, which translates into huge savings. "Fix it now and you're not repainting next year," he says.

If you have a deck, check for loose boards and see if you need to do any resealing. You should also get your deck cleaned thoroughly at least every other year with a pressure washer. Homeowners can do this themselves, but only if they are experienced in the proper use of a pressure washer, Lupberger says. "With several hundred pounds of water pressure, you don't want to spray yourself or any other living thing by accident," he says. And, because the force of the water takes everything off the deck, the power-washing should be followed up with application of a deck sealant. This washing and sealing process will extend the life of the deck.

Do some general cleanup in your yard, too. Trim any bushes and trees so they're several feet away from your home. If you have a sprinkler system, you can get it checked by a professional, who will make sure there aren't any leaks before you turn it on for the season. Rake up any excess leaves, which can suffocate your lawn and keep it from growing.

Start small: Pick an easy task to start. Checking one thing off your list will give you a sense of accomplishment – and the momentum you need to keep going.

"Your house lets you know when something is wrong," Lupberger says. "If you handle these things regularly, it doesn’t turn into a huge project; it’s just a variety of small ones."


(Some tips provided Leah L. Culler of MSN)

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