Annual maintenance of your home need not be a chore. Think upon it as a great way of protecting your investment. After all, you have probably sunk everything you own into the purchase of your home, and it would be a shame for it to lose some of its value or beauty. Little and often is the key to spotting problems early and keeping the repair bills down.
Here are a few of my top tips for keeping your property in good order.
Guttering
If the guttering is in poor condition, it can affect the integrity of the whole building. It is a small part of the building but does a vital job. Without the protection it provides, the ground around our buildings would be saturated, and water could well be running down the walls. If the ground does become too wet, all kinds of problems can manifest themselves. You may, for example, find that your beloved home begins to subside and cracks appear in the walls. Then you have major issues to resolve. Clean all of the mud and any weeds that may be growing, out of the gutters. Grab hold and give the gutters a tug to see that they are still firmly attached. If they are coming loose, refix them as a priority. Look at the underside of any joints to see if there has been any leakage. Fill the joints from above with jointing compound if leaks are evident.
Tidy Up
Look around your home and make sure there is no debris, soil, rubbish, etc, leaning against the outside walls. Check bushes and trees too. If they have grown, and have branches touching the walls, they may need pruning. If the walls are not kept clear, there is a strong chance that the house will suffer from damp problems. Keeping the outside tidy and clear need only take a few minutes once a week to arrest any issues before they develop.
Paintwork
Regular maintenance to the paintwork on your doors and windows will extend their life. Take one window or door every summer and repaint it. In need only take a couple of hours for two days to keep your paintwork in top condition.
Subsidence
If your concrete driveway or path has started to sink in one or more places, it may indicate that the ground is settling beneath it. This will lead to cracking in the concrete and puddles developing. Laying a new concrete surface is likely to be an expensive replacement so perhaps you should think about the alternative. It is possible for professionals such as these, to come along and jack the concrete back up to its original level. This is achieved by drilling small holes and pumping a polymer into the ground. This repair can be carried out for around half of what you would pay for a replacement slab.
Mortar
Check the mortar between the bricks to make sure it is sound. If you find it is crumbling, the loose material should be scraped out and replaced. Take your time and enjoy this job as it is easy work and lets you contemplate as the world goes by.
Those are my five top tips. There are many other jobs that you may undertake, and they will become apparent when you inspect your home. Whatever project you undertake this year, enjoy it, work methodically, and you won’t go far wrong.
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