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5 Spring Maintenance Musts to Prevent Expensive Home Repairs

Don Kennedy

Don Kennedy – ProMaster Founder

Running a home repair business is analogous to being a cardiologist.  Just like heart disease, most of the problems with expensive home repairs are preventable.  Unfortunately we Americans aren’t known for being proactive. Every spring I see the evidence of this, as my phone rings of the hook from all of the damage that homeowners discover that could have been prevented with spring maintenance – or maybe even any maintenance.

Spring Maintenance Items That’s You Can’t Ignore

I suppose you could ignore these items—for I’ll make more money if you do.  Cardiologists certainly make more money from treating your heart attack than counseling you on diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.  I promise though, that these items will be much easier than dropping your cheeseburger habit or jogging three times per week.

The central theme in these items is water.  Yes, water.  Water damage is a home’s worst enemy, generally causing the most expensive, invasive, inconvenient home repairs.  As you plan for spring home maintenance projects—whether you are a Do-It-Yourselfer or rely on a home repair or handyman service, here is what I want you to focus on:

  1. Gutters: Cincinnati, like most Midwest areas of the US, gets hit with frequent heavy rain showers from thunderstorms.  Clogged, leaking, incorrectly sloped, or improperly routed gutters are responsible for a range of wood rot problems to water intrusion in lower levels and basements.  Clean the gutters and have them inspected for proper flow and drainage. WATCH VIDEO: Gutter Cleaning is Critical for the Health of Your Cincinnati Area Home
  2. Roofs:  I’ve seen a growing trend of improperly installed shingles, missing underlayment, incorrect flashing and homes with  roofing damage.  Get the roof inspected before the storms hit and be prepared to spend a few hundred bucks for roof maintenance and repair now to save thousands in water damage later.  WATCH VIDEO: How to Prevent Roof Damage
  3. Sump Pump:  Most of us in the Cincinnati area have a basement.  Unless the basement was built with a gravity-drain footer, you’re likely to need to pump ground water out now and again to ensure your lower level doesn’t turn into a swimming pool.  Regular followers of my blog know that I’m a huge advocate of battery backup sump pumps.  If your basement would be significantly affected by water damage (i.e. it is finished) and you don’t have a battery backup system installed… well, I’ll just say it… you’re foolish.  The cost for these systems are often less than an insurance deductible and provide tremendous peace of mind.  WATCH VIDEO: Prevent Basement Sump Water Flooding with a Battery Backup Sump Pump
  4. Wood Rot: This one is my favorite because so much of our work is due to wood rot.  Water intrusion around doors and windows often leads to deterioration of wood trim, framing and structural components.  If you see gaps around windows or doors, make sure they are properly caulked and sealed.  If you notice step cracks developing in your brick veneer, or misaligned siding in the vicinity of a door, this might be a sign of severe wood rot in the structural components underneath that door.  If you notice damp window sills, mold growth, or discolored drywall and peeling paint near a window, this is a common warning sign of a window flashing or sealing problem.  WATCH VIDEO: Wood Rot Repair Common in Cincinnati
  5. Decks: Deck maintenance is time consuming, but the cost of ignoring the deck wood can be far more expensive.  Cracking, splitting, discoloration, deterioration and rot are common if you don’t clean and seal your deck at least every other year.  Here are a few resources to help you with a deck repair, deck restoration, or deck cleaning and sealing.  A few hundred dollars of deck maintenance each year can prevent thousands from the cost of prematurely replacing it.  WATCH VIDEOS: Decks

Need Help with Spring Home Maintenance?

While I’d prefer you ignore your exterior home maintenance duties so that ProMaster can make more money from fixing wood rot, flooded basements, water-damaged drywall and decks, our craftsman seem just as happy as to help you prevent these nightmares from occurring in the first place.  Give them a call at (513) 724-0539 or friend them on Facebook at facebook.com/promastercincinnati to complete your Spring Home Maintenance Checklist today!

Comments

  1. Hi,

    Nice! Thanks for the informative post you have here. It will give idea to a reader.

    Keep posting
    Nathan

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