It's no fun doing home maintenance, and even less so when it's 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity. That's why fall and winter in the Tampa Bay area are ideal times to perform your exterior home maintenance. Here are a few maintenance tasks you should do every year to keep your home in good condition.
Window Caulk
The Florida sun can take a toll on your window caulk. Walk around your home and look at the caulk around your windows. If it’s cracked, broken or missing, you need to replace it. Window caulk aids in the energy efficiency of your windows and keeps driving rain out of your home. All you need is the right kind of caulk and a caulking gun, both of which can be found at your local home improvement store. Don’t neglect the caulk on the inside of your windows as that’s just as important although not as quick to deteriorate as it’s not exposed to the elements like the exterior caulk.
Weather Stripping
Each of your exterior doors has weather stripping. Typically, it’s made of plastic, and it will wear out over time. Sometimes you can tell if it needs replacing just by looking at it. Another test you can perform is to shut the door and see if you can feel exterior air coming through or see light. If your neighbor has ever slipped a letter through the side of your door, chances are good your weather stripping has seen better days. It’s easy to replace as you only need to buy the right size and color and then remove the old and reaffix the new.
Clean Your Gutters
Your gutters serve an important purpose. They funnel the rainwater away from your home’s foundation. If they’re clogged and water runs over them, you could end up with damage to your roof, fascia, landscaping, or even to your foundation. Although this may be the most dreaded of exterior home maintenance tasks, cleaning them in the dry season is a much easier and less messy task than cleaning them after rain.
Mulch
The proper amount of mulch conserves water and helps prevent weed growth. Three inches is the recommended amount unless you have small plants, then use slightly less. Also, remove old mildewed mulch before applying new.
Proper maintenance helps improve your home’s value and curb appeal, and it also keeps your home as energy-efficient as possible so utility costs stay lower. If you are new to the area and would like to purchase a home which has been well-maintained, give me a call. As a full-service real estate office, we are happy to help you search for the best home to meet your needs. Reach out to us at (813) 992-7771.
