Home Maintenance Matters !

Our environment is changing and it is time to take this “extreme” weather seriously. Here is my top 3 list of inexpensive but necessary maintenance items for your home.

Our homes have truly taken a beating over the last 6 to 8 months. In July we were hit with heavy rainfall, flash flooding, backed up sewers and drains. In December, the ice storm caught us once again damaging trees, homes and hydro wires.

I can not stress how important regular maintenance is to the health and value of your home. In the early stages a poorly maintained house presents itself with cosmetic damage. The more general maintenance gets neglected the larger the repair and the greater the cost.

Below are 3 inexpensive but necessary maintenance items:Lack or ineffective use of caulking- Sealant protects against most cracks found in the home. It’s the stuff that blocks moisture from seeping around bathtubs and windows. It blocks drafts coming from windows and it is the cosmetic filler used on mouldings and baseboards. I recommend inspecting the condition of your caulking every spring and fall. Extreme heat and cold can cause it to crack and split overtime, leading to leaks, moisture penetration and the dreaded M word- MOLD.

Poorly maintained eavestroughs- Failure to clean and clear out your eavestroughs can lead to costly damage. Trust me I’ve seen everything over the years. Blocked eaves can cause ice damming in the winter- often damaging the roof, leading to ceiling damage during a thaw. Waterfalls pouring over the top of the eaves funnelling water straight to the foundation causing seepage in the basement.  I get 2-3 panicked phone calls every year with this exact issue, problem solved when the eavestroughs are cleared out and water is redirected away from the house.

Improper grading around the foundation- This leads to moisture and seepage into the basement. Signs of moisture in the basement can be a subtle musty smell, overall damp feeling or visible water damage such as mold growth or discoloured baseboards. Grading or sloping the ground around the house away from the foundation stops run-off from pooling causing the damage mentioned above.
Hopefully this is a good reminder that household maintenance matters. Checking the condition of these 3 areas every spring and fall will protect the condition and value of your home.