Are you a new homeowner? Congratulations! Owning a home is an exciting accomplishment and a valuable investment — one you likely want to take good care of. But with all the time and know-how that home maintenance requires, it can seem daunting. We’ve created a list of exterior home maintenance tips for new homeowners to make the task a bit more manageable.
1. Inspect Your Home’s Exterior
Walk the perimeter of your new home quarterly and keep your eyes open for any areas that might need attention. You may be surprised at how easy and helpful it is to catch a problem before it becomes a major issue.
As you walk around, check the following:
- Roof: Check for missing shingles and potential leaks.
- Walls: See if there’s any damage, staining or peeling paint. Those are signs of water damage or mold.
- Foundation: Look for cracks in your foundation. They might be a sign of structural issues.
- Landscape: See if there’s erosion on the floor directly under your roof. This might be due to overflowing gutters.
A good way to stay on schedule is to do an exterior home inspection at the turn of each season.
Doing these quick inspections throughout the year is a good way to catch issues while they’re still easy to fix. The best time for these inspections is around the end of every season. That way, you’ll be able to prepare ahead for any weather changes.
2. Maintain Exterior Paint and Remove Wood Rot
Your home’s exterior paint adds more than curb appeal — it also serves as a moisture barrier. Keeping your paint in good shape can help keep your home dry. If you spot chipping or peeling, give the paint a touchup as soon as possible. Most exterior paints are made to last from five to 10 years, but this will vary depending on their formula, sun exposure, wall material and weather conditions.
Wood siding needs regular maintenance. The best thing is to stain it every two to five years and inspect it for rot at least once a year. If your new home has wood siding, look it over for signs of discoloration or swelling.
Paint can camouflage wood rot, so use a screwdriver to test the wood’s integrity. If it isn’t firm and hard, you may have a wood rot problem. Wood rot can be treated if the damage isn’t too extensive. Repair typically includes drying the wood and treating it with a wood preservative.
3. Wash the Exterior
You should wash the exterior of your home one to two times per year. Power washing can remove months or even years of dirt and grime from your siding, protect your home’s exterior from mold and mildew, and give it a fresh, clean appearance. In addition to maintaining curb appeal, washing the exterior of your home is also helpful in uncovering potential issues hiding under grime.
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with how to use your power washer safely, start by washing from the highest point you can reach, moving the hose from side to side and working your way down the house.
4. Look for and Remove Pest Infestations
Pests often make their nests in the crevices, cracks and gaps in your home’s exterior, gaining entry to your house. Checking for signs of pests quarterly and keeping your landscaping tidy quarterly is a way to prevent them from taking residence in your home. Signs may include nests, droppings, dead bugs, rodents or the pests themselves. Seal up or repair the pests’ entryway to prevent them from returning.
Conducting preventive pest control at least once a year is a quick and easy solution to avoid the unpleasant task of dealing with rodents, insects and other unwanted pests. You can also use a reliable pest control company to keep your new home pest-free.
5. Clean Your Home’s Gutters
Gutters are vital for controlling the flow of rainwater that reaches your home, protecting the roof, siding and foundation from moisture. Gutters can become clogged with leaves and other debris and can’t properly divert water from your home.
Gutters play a vital role in protecting the roof, siding and foundation of your home from moisture by controlling and redirecting rainwater flow. Gutters can become clogged with the leaves and debris that fall in them, causing overflow and spilling. If rainwater constantly spills over the sides of your gutters, it may cause:
- Foundation damage
- Structural problems
- Mold and mildew
- Basement flooding
Use a ladder to clear your gutters of debris at least twice a year (or more often, depending on the number of trees near your home). The best times to do this are in early spring, before the rainy season, and after most leaves fall in autumn to prevent ice dams and icicles.
Cleaning your gutters is also an opportunity to ensure your gutters are working properly. Alternatively, consider hiring a gutter cleaning service to manage your gutters for you and save you the hard task of balancing and reaching for debris in your gutters.
6. Care for Windows and Skylights
Regular maintenance is essential to keep your windows and skylights operating efficiently. Inspect them yearly and after major storms for any imperfections. You may notice leaks, cracks in the materials or paint, weather-stripping damage or difficulty turning the cranks or sliding the sash.
Pay special attention to the caulk or sealant around your windows or skylights. This material helps keep windows watertight. If the caulk or sealant is broken, missing or otherwise damaged, water could leak into your home and cause further damage.
7. Clean and Inspect the Front Door
Cleaning your door at least once a year will allow you to inspect it for any damage that could compromise insulation or safety. You can clean it by wiping down a gentle cleanser such as wood polish, dish soap or baby shampoo. Check for hardware damage, cracks and missing weather stripping that can impact the door’s structural integrity and your home’s insulation.
8. Inspect the Roof
Use a ladder to survey your roof annually for any missing or broken shingles, stains or sagging areas. You can also remain on the ground and use a pair of binoculars for a safer alternative. A gutter cleaning service or handyman may be able to repair or replace faulty shingles, while you should call a professional roofer for more extensive damage.
9. Maintain Landscaping
No matter what kind of landscaping you have, maintaining it will help it flourish and reach its full potential. Here are a few basic ways to keep your yard in top condition:
- Prune your shrubs.
- Shape your hedges.
- Remove weeds.
- Water when necessary.
- Rake and remove leaves.
- Cut your grass weekly in season.
10. Keep Your Porch and Driveway Free of Debris
Yard debris like leaves, sticks, pinecones and grass clippings can accumulate and leave the exterior of your new home looking cluttered and messy. Sweep off your porches and blow your driveway clean at least weekly to maintain a tidy appearance.
Outdoor Maintenance Checklist For Homeowners
Owning a home is a significant responsibility, but putting in the time and effort to maintain it will make your investment worthwhile. Caring for your home as a new homeowner can seem overwhelming, but a home exterior maintenance checklist can make it more manageable. This checklist will help you keep track of important maintenance tasks and when they need to occur.
Home exterior maintenance checklist:
- Yearly: Inspect your windows, skylights, and the caulk around them for leaks, cracks and operational issues. Clean and inspect the front door and hardware for damage. Inspect the roof for missing or broken shingles, stains or sagging areas. Inspect exterior paint and touch-up as needed.
- Biannually: Clean gutters and downspouts to prevent blockages and water damage.
- Quarterly: Prune shrubs and shape hedges. Remove weeds from landscaping. Rake and remove leaves seasonally. Inspect your house for signs of pests such as droppings or nests.
- Weekly: Cut the grass, water the landscaping and keep porches clear of debris.
How to Get Ahead of Your Home Maintenance To-Do List
Using the home exterior maintenance tips in this post, organize the tasks by frequency — which ones to do monthly, quarterly, biannually and annually. Alternatively, you can create a seasonal home maintenance checklist and group the tasks by season. For example, spring and summer may include regular lawn care and gardening. In contrast, fall and winter may include removing leaves, shutting off irrigation, closing the pool and insulating the pipes.
Consider hiring a professional for maintenance tasks that are complicated, dangerous or time-intensive, such as cleaning the gutters and inspecting windows and skylights. Exterior home maintenance services can help make home maintenance more manageable, bringing you peace of mind.
At A Better Gutter Cleaning, we handle more than just gutter cleaning. We also repair and replace gutters, clean windows and skylights, patch roofs and blow leaves from your porch and driveway. Our professionals can knock several items off your home maintenance checklist with one visit!
Trust Your Gutters to A Better Gutter Cleaning
A Better Gutter Cleaning provides professional gutter cleaning and repair services to Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Our dedication to customer satisfaction and high-quality service has earned us a loyal following, and we’d love to add your home to our schedule. If you’re ready to hand your gutters over to the professionals, request a quote today.
