As winter sets in, you need to properly arm your house to withstand the harsh cold months ahead. One way to do that is by winter-proofing your home’s exterior.
Winters in New York can be especially dark and cold and your
home’s exterior can take the hardest beating. From Long Island to Suffolk
County or Nassau County, the winter doesn’t discriminate. You must therefore
take certain deliberate steps to mitigate the ravaging effects of the harsh
colds.
What happens when you underestimate winter and ignore your
home maintenance? After the winter passes successfully, you will start counting
your losses right then in form of roof damage, exterior and siding damage, as well
as moisture damage.
The resultant effect of this damage is spending more on
repairs and replacements. You’ll actually incur a lot more than what you would
have spent on maintenance and winter-proofing.
A simple maintenance practice like power washing your home’s
exterior regularly costs unbelievably low. The trick lies in finding the right
Long Island pressure washing team. The right cleaning team is one that provides
the highest caliber of residential cleaning while engaging the safest and most
efficient procedures.
That said, how can partnering with a reliable pressure
washing team in New York help to set your home ready for the winter? Here are a
few useful tips.
1.
Inspecting your home’s exterior
It is not uncommon for homeowners to give more attention to their
home’s interior and ignore the exterior. Well, newsflash. When winter strikes,
the first point of contact is the exterior making your home more susceptible to
damage from the outside moving inwards.
So, if you hadn’t done it already, it is time to add the
home’s exterior features to your home maintenance checklist. Without a sound
exterior, your home’s structure and safety may become problematic over time.
Before winter knocks on your doors or descends on your roof,
take some time and walk around the property. That includes even your yard,
driveway, and sidewalks. As you take the tour, keep an eye out for areas that
could potentially devastate your home’s integrity if not properly taken care of
before winter. Note them down.
Some of these areas include the gutters, downspouts, roof,
drainage, decks, patios, chimney, as well as driveways. Identify the areas that
need a quick fix or simple maintenance like cleaning with pressure washing to
remove stains, loose paint, mold, mildew, or debris and take immediate action.
These simple maintenance practices are what keep small home
issues from worsening during winter. If you don’t know where to start with the
maintenance, consult a certified and experienced Long Island pressure washing professional
for quality advice.
2.
Preparing for a thorough roof cleaning
Whatever you do, never wait until winter to clean your roof!
Preferably, schedule a roof cleaning with a qualified Long Island power washing
expert in late summer or fall to allow it ample time to completely dry
post-cleaning.
Roof cleaning with pressure washing is integral in
preventing mold, mildew, and dirt buildup on the roof or its components. A
thorough roof cleaning exercise will help you unmask issues with your roof you
would not have found out any other way. Since pressure washing doesn’t
discriminate, it will reveal even the tiniest cracks on your roof or leaks into
your house.
That’s precisely why power cleaning should be left to the
professionals. If done wrongly, it can result in more damage or even widen the
cracks to pave way for moisture damage. An expert knows how to do it with the
right amount of caution and tools while applying an extra safety layer to make
your roof winter-ready.
Roof damage can be costly both to your house and to your
health. Don’t take that chance if you are not properly equipped or trained.
3.
Checking your gutters and downspouts
Many homeowners downplay gutter cleaning as a miniature task
that they can save for later. As the main system that drains water away from
your roof and siding, gutters and downspouts should be assigned the same
importance you assign to your roof.
You can clean the gutters yourself or if ladders make you
shiver, hire a licensed Long Island pressure washing professional to do it for
you. Failure to clean your gutters and downspouts in time leads to clogged
drainage. The aftermath of clogged gutters is a leaky roof, basement flooding, weak
home foundation as well as the formation of ice dams in the cold winter months.
Just to give you some perspective, moisture damage is such a
huge monster in the United States that it affects at least 14,000
homeowners each day. The problem commonly stems from overlooking seemingly
simple home aspects like the gutters and downspouts.
Before it gets to that, power cleaning the gutters and
downspouts before winter arrives can help greatly in reducing the odds of
clogging. Gutters and downspouts are mostly clogged by debris, leaves, loose
roofing granules, and animal droppings and one powerful spray is enough to
clear the entire drainage system.
4.
Examining the siding
Most homes in the United States are made of vinyl sidings.
That said, regardless of the siding material used, inspecting this important
protective part is a must prior to the winter months.
If you want some inspiration to take care of your siding,
think of it not only as an element of your home’s curb appeal but also as an
insulation jacket for your house. That means the siding plays a crucial role in
keeping you and your home warm and protected under the harshness of winter.
Just like in the roof inspection, when inspecting your
home’s siding, keep an eye out for holes, gaps, cracks, dents, and other
defects or signs of damage. The essence of this inspection is both to prevent
water from leaking into the house as well as to disrupt the conducive
environment for mold and mildew buildup during winter.
Power cleaning the accumulated dirt on your siding helps deter
mold and mildew spread into your home long before winter. Why pressure
cleaning? Because it does an excellent job at properly and deeply cleaning the
siding reaching even the impenetrable parts.
Need some help with that? Search online for ‘pressure
cleaning near me’ if you are in NYC and check out the impressive work Above All
Pressure Cleaning does.
5.
Don’t forget your driveways and walkways
Besides the house, there are other critical exterior
components that make up your home. You cannot overlook them because winter
doesn’t discriminate. It sweeps everything in its way that holds sentimental
value to you.
Probably among the biggest contributors to your home’s curb
appeal, your driveways and walkways deserve all the protection they can get. They
are the first point of impression with your home and when they crack, they
start painting you as an irresponsible homeowner to your friends and neighbors.
So, what can you do to steer clear of all that shame? Start
by properly cleaning and sealing all your flat concrete surfaces to mitigate
the development of cracks. Of course, you must do a thorough inspection of all
your concrete walkways and driveways to unmask any emerging cracks that need
filling.
Upon successful filling of all the existing cracks, apply a
sealer on the concrete to prevent water from collecting inside and later freezing
during winter.
6.
Your deck or patio is important too!
Preventative maintenance can also be applied to your deck or
patio in readiness for winter whether they have a wooden, concrete, or other
surface material.
Cleaning and sealing your concrete-surfaced deck or patio will
go a long way in minimizing erosion resulting from rainwater or snow. It is
also an effective way of protecting the surface from oil stains and salt
corrosion. A sealed concrete surface does a great job of repelling water and
inhibiting algae growth.
You can similarly clean, restore, and seal your wood-surfaced
patio or deck floor. Not only does this give your deck or patio a fresh new and
clean look but also helps in preventing rotting and constant floor
replacements.
With a proper power wash, your deck or patio is made ready
for restoration and sealing and can boldly withstand any winter storm. Reach
out to a trustworthy Long Island power washing team to learn how best to
maintain your deck or patio surfaces.
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