In the face of torrential downpours and a whole season of hurricanes, an extremely costly threat emerges…water damage to your home! Water damage can creep into your home slowly and cultivate environments for mold to grow.
However, it can be easy to maintain your home’s exterior to prevent any water from getting inside in the first place. Here are some important areas to focus on when storm-proofing your home:
Paint
- Paint serves more than an aesthetic purpose. It prevents water from leaking in through the walls of your home. Routinely check for peeling or missing spots of paint, and don’t assume paint will last as long as it claims.
- If you begin to see unexplained mold, peeling paint, or discoloration on your interior walls, consider inspecting your exterior ones.
Windows and Doors
- Also inspect windows and doors regularly, before a leak even occurs. Over time, it’s natural for a house to deteriorate, so wood shrinks and caulking dries.
- Check around doors, windows, and trim to determine whether the gaskets and seals are still good. Poke the wood to see if it has developed wood rot. (It’ll be soft and spongey if it has.)
- Fill any cracks in masonry or stucco with a mortar repair or crack sealant.
Gutters
- Inspect gutters annually. Clean gutters to ensure debris doesn’t block water drainage. Also, check for leaks and see if the gutters are still attached to your home. Broken or clogged gutters can result in water collecting at the base of your home, putting the foundation at risk.
- Check your downspouts, which should funnel water 2-3 feet away from your home. Downspouts can be purchased from the hardware store, for about $12 per spout, according to The Washington Post.
- If you would rather not do the work yourself, you can hire a licensed professional to clean the gutters.
Roof
- The Washington Post recommends that you hire a roofer to check out your home every 5 years.
- If you’d like, you can use binoculars to inspect your roof for loose shingles, cracked tiles and moss. Despite most roofs having a lifespan of 20-30 years, climate, weather conditions, and even nearby trees can cause damage to roof shingles. The roof should not be neglected, because of the important role it plays in keeping the interior of your house dry.
- Additionally, check your attic for water stains, light coming through the roof and the presence of animals.
Maintaining the house is something many homeowners avoid or forget. But investing time into maintenance, and money into simple fixes can help prevent a financial headache in the long run.
*This information was provided by Nationwide, HomeTips and The Washington Post.
