Maintaining your home's exterior is vital to it health. Why say "health"? Because behind your exterior walls there may be mildew, rotten framing materials, insects and/or rain that has penetrated and damaged the structure of your home - without you ever being aware that destruction is taking place.
Recently a home had water penetrate through a window sill. The homeowner thought this was a one time event. It wasn't!! Years of water penetration had destroyed the wall framing - mildew formed and the carpet padding was ruined. Thousand of dollars were spent to repair the situation when a tube of caulking could have stopped the problem.
The following are suggestions that may alleviate these problems:
- Walk around the exterior of your home - checking all windows and doors for cracked or missing caulking.
- Inspect all gutters and downspouts - leaves will cause blockage which will cause water to back up and penetrate through the gutter board.
- Check downspouts to make sure they are draining away from the home - water should be discharged a minimum of three feet away.
- Look for peeling exterior paint - this is a sign that your home is in need of painting.
- If you have exterior lawn sprinklers, schedule winterization of the system.
- Exterior hose bibs should be shut off in the winter and the valve should be left in the open position until Spring.
- HVAC system should have be maintenance checked for efficiency.
- Replace HVAC filters regularly and clean electronic filters monthly