Tips For Protecting Your Home With Preventative Maintenance
As a homeowner, it’s important that you constantly maintain your home. Bad weather can strike at any time, and if your home is in bad shape, this can be a huge issue. While homeowner’s insurance will cover most costs associated with weather, you can eliminate a lot of stress and hassle by taking the steps to protect your home before the bad weather comes. This might mean anything from replacing a few shingles to insulating your pipes.
Polaris Realty NW shares the following tips for how to protect your home from bad weather.
Protect your roof from debris and damage
For many people, the last time they really thought about their roof was during their pre-sale inspection. This is a big mistake. Rain, wind, and snow can cause serious damage to your roof. If you’re thinking about selling your home any time soon, a well-maintained roof is especially important. Potential buyers will turn away from homes with leaks or missing shingles.
One of the easiest things you can do to protect your roof is to schedule regular inspections. If your roof is fairly new, you may be able to do the inspections yourself. But if your roof is at least 10 years old, Bob Vila recommends hiring a professional. It might seem like an unnecessary expense, but when you compare it to the cost of replacing a roof, which runs anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000, and inspection is a small investment. When searching for roofing companies online, sites like Angi.com can help you discover reviews from previous customers, which can help you make your decision.
Speaking of gutters
Your gutters play a huge role in protecting your home from inclement weather. But most people think about their gutters less than they think about their roof. So what happens when you neglect your gutters? Damaged or dirty gutters can cause water to pool on the roof, causing catastrophic damage to the roof and underlying structure.
If the water doesn’t have a proper place to drain, the runoff can cause damage to your home’s siding and frame. This can contribute to mold. Gutters need year-round maintenance. If you find yourself constantly clearing out your gutters, consider installing a gutter guard.
A gutter guard is a cover that is placed over your gutter. will prevent your gutters from being clogged by any twigs, leaves, or other debris. But it will still allow water to drain from your roof. This could save you a lot of time and make maintenance easier. Of course, you’ll still need to clean your gutters. Ideally, this is a task best left to professionals.
Don’t forget your pipes when the temperature drops
Your insurance policy may cover water damage caused by frozen pipes, but filing a claim can be a hassle. Not to mention, frozen pipes can cause extensive damage to your home and plumbing system. When the water in pipes freezes, it expands and applies more pressure to the pipe, which can cause it to crack. According to Mclain Insurance, a ⅛-inch crack in a pipe can flood a home with up to 250 gallons of water a day.
Pipes can freeze any time the temperature outside dips below 20º F. To protect your pipes, make sure you insulate all your pipes. You should put extra focus on exterior pipes and any pipes in areas that may experience extreme temperatures, such as the garage and attic. You’ll also want to open any cabinet doors under sinks. This will allow the heat from the room to warm the pipes and keep them from freezing. On especially cold days, you should have backup space heaters to put near pipes in the coldest parts of your home.
Refinancing your mortgage
Not every home-based challenge involves dark clouds and bursting pipes. In fact, some of the worst stress — financial and otherwise — comes from mortgage payments that are simply too high. Luckily, if you need to know how to refinance a house, PennyMac’s experienced loan officers can help you do just that by saving an average of $160 per month.
Your home is a big investment. Don’t let inclement weather catch you off guard. Protect your investment by making sure you’re ready for bad weather.
Polaris Realty NW was started in 2018 as a way to adhere to and fully practice what we believe in. That includes treating all people equally, fairly, and with kindness, being a good steward to the environment, and of course, putting the client’s best interest first. Call 971-266-3944!
More tips from Bret Engle at DiyGuys.net
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