With summer ending and winter’s cold weather fast approaching, properly preparing your home’s exterior is important not only for curb appeal but also for keeping your home and property in good condition. Winter weather causes some harsh conditions for the exterior of your home, so you may be wondering how you can get your home prepared to be safe during this season.
The good news is that with by keeping your home in good repair with regular upkeep and preparation, you don’t have to stress about winter ruining the exterior of your house. Read on for seven tips to prepare your home’s exterior for this coming winter!
1. Check Your Home’s Exterior
First, do a visual inspection of your home’s exterior. Take a few laps around your home and in your yard to notate any areas that look like they could become problematic if not taken care of before the winter months. Pay attention to areas like the roof, gutter drainage, hard exterior surfaces (including the home’s foundation and exterior walls), patios or decks, driveways and walkways, around the door frames and windows, and the chimney.
Don’t forget your exterior faucets, too! Turn off the water supply to these (there’s typically an easily accessible shut-off valve along the water line) and then frost-proof faucets by insulating them with a foam cover.
While some of these areas may seem more like fixes for vanity’s sake, they are actually crucial preparations to protect your home from damage from the season to come and prevent potential further damage to escalating a smaller existing issue.
2. Schedule a Roof Cleaning Before The Winter Season
Scheduling a regular roof power washing is important to help prevent mold, dirt, and mildew buildup. Having a regular roof cleaning in the late summer or fall months may be a great time of year to do so, as it is important that the roof can stay dry for a few days post-cleaning.
It’s important to keep an eye out for any leaks or cracks in your roof, as these can allow water to get into your home. You don’t want to be surprised by a leaky roof after the first winter storm of the season hits.
Pay special attention before cleaning your home’s roof, making note of any areas where extra caution should be taken (ex: near broken shingles or low-hanging tree branches) so not to cause further damage or create more cracks.
While you can decide to clean your roof yourself, for the best and safest experience, Trotta’s Power Washing recommends using professionals for a roof cleaning. This way, you can mitigate the risk of damaging your roof — or more importantly — yourself! Experts know the best way and have the proper tools, cleaning materials, and methods to clean and make sure you have a winter-ready roof.
3. Prepare Gutters & Downspouts for Winter
Gutter cleaning is a must to complete before winter comes! You may think that this is a simple task you can complete yourself, but we must note that there’s more to this project than simply cleaning out leaves and dirt!
Unclean and clogged gutters can lead to a lot of problems, including but not limited to water damage, a weakened home foundation, a flooded basement and landscaping, ice dams, and more. Regular gutter maintenance by professionals can help ensure that your gutters stay clean and do not get overly clogged, leading to these bigger issues and possibly costing more money in the long run by needing to be replaced. Clean gutters are safe gutters!
4. Check Your Home’s Siding
Vinyl siding is one of the most common and popular types of siding used for homes in America. Whether your house has vinyl siding, aluminum siding, or uses another type of material, checking your siding before winter is important.
Sure, you want your siding to look good for curb appeal, but it is even more important to think of your home’s siding as its jacket for insulation; siding is an integral part of your house’s protection so that it keeps your home (and you!) warm and protected during this cold season.
Much like when you check your roof, you want to do a thorough inspection of your siding for any cracks and holes. This isn’t just to prevent water from leaking in, but also to prevent mold and mildew buildup to start and get into your home during harsh weather. Cleaning your siding before winter can help prevent the green stuff because no one wants mold or mildew to accumulate in their home!
Regular cleaning of your siding is vital to wash away any accumulated dirt and debris, especially before and during the winter months. Moss, mildew, mold, and algae can all build up on your house’s siding during the winter season. Power washing your siding is recommended by experts so that it can be cleaned deeply and properly.
5. Seal Cement Driveways & Walkways
Preparing your home’s exterior for winter doesn’t only mean the actual house — your driveways and walkways are an important part of your property, too!
Concrete sealing is a process of cleaning and protecting your flat concrete surfaces from developing too many cracks. Concrete work can be expensive, so you want to protect it. Taking the time to inspect your concrete driveway and walkways is important to note if there are any cracks forming that need to be filled.
Once you fill any existing cracks if necessary, applying a sealer will prevent water from getting in and freezing over the winter. With professional concrete cleaning and sealing on your cement, you can help your beautiful driveway and walkways last a long time.
6. Protect Your Deck or Patio from Winter Weather
Preparing your deck or patio for the winter means more than covering up or bringing in your outdoor furniture. It means preventative maintenance. Whether wood, cement, or another surface, it must be protected from the winter elements.
Concrete cleaning and sealing will help protect against erosion that can be caused by snow or rainwater as well as protect your patio or deck’s surface against oil and salt. A clean and sealed concrete surface will repel water and even impede algae production.
Similarly, professional cleaning, restoration, and sealing for wood surfaces will not only keep your patio or deck looking clean and new, but it will also help prevent the wood from rotting and needing to be replaced. If this is not something that you stay on top of, it can lead to expensive repairs and other dire consequences for the exterior of your house.
Trotta’s offers professional deck restoration and concrete sealing services, along with a proper power wash to help you prepare your deck or patio and protect their surfaces from damage during the cold and snow.
7. Hire a Professional to Help Winter-Proof Your Home’s Exterior
A professional power washing company like Trotta’s Power Washing can help you ensure that the exterior of your home is prepared and safe for winter! With exterior home services for cold weather that include roof cleaning, gutter brightening, power washing, concrete sealing and cleaning, wood restoration, and deck restoration, we are like your one-stop shop for completing your home winter-proofing to-do list!
Schedule your fall cleaning for your home’s winter preparations before the harsh winter weather is upon us. Contact Trotta’s Today!
