Taking care of your property
Here are some tips and recommendations on how to take good care of your property in order to avoid costly emergency expenses (residential or commercial).
- Take advantage of the good weather and look around your property. Pay attention to little details: small problems detected earlier can avoid bigger problems and expenses in the future. Start from your roof. Look for cracks, loose material or nails coming out of shingles. Examine if the flashing around the chimney is bonded together with the chimney bricks and the sealant is in good condition. A cap on your chimney will avoid unwanted bird‘s or other animals’ nests.
- Take a look also in the gutters. See if they are properly nailed and clean any leaves or dirt collected in the channel. Remember to check them again late in the fall, when all the leaves have fallen from the trees. Or install a screen over the channel to prevent leaves from falling in them.
- If you are not sure about what to look for, or don’t feel comfortable walking around the roof, hire someone to see if everything is in good condition. If you find that the roof needs to be redone, talk with people you know for referrals or have two to three free estimates done by professionals. Always remember that the cheapest or the most expensive price is not always the best option, and to ask for references.
- Back to the ground; look for cracks on the bricks or stucco. These cracks can trap water which, with lower temperatures, will freeze and expand, widening as years go by. You can repair them with cement or concrete filler. They come in different colors, so try to find one that better matches what you have on your wall.
- Inspect windows and doors to see if they are closing tight. Look at the silicone around windows and doors. If they need to be replaced, make sure you use the proper material for this type of work; remove any loose material and clean well before applying the new layer.
- Finally, check all fences, gates, handrails, and steps. Test to see if they are still in good condition. Make sure that nothing is loose or rotten. Ensure also that all painted parts are still in good condition and, if necessary, remove all the old paint and repaint it with high quality material to withstand the weather changes.
- After doing all this, make sure you enjoy your summer, knowing that your property is well maintained and free of major future problems.