Exterior Home Maintenance Services That Will Save You Money and Unnecessary Stress
When you are a homeowner, the exterior of your home speaks volumes to neighbors and visitors. If your yard is well-kept, your trees are trimmed, and the house is nicely painted, it will show your pride in your home. However, keeping up with exterior home maintenance services can become overwhelming for homeowners with busy lifestyles. Here are some home maintenance tasks you shouldn’t skip because they will save you time and money.
Trimming Your Trees
When there are trees on your property, keeping them trimmed and healthy will add to the overall attractiveness of your yard. Trees can also provide shaded areas for families to picnic in. Although you may be willing to water your trees and rake leaves in the autumn, the full responsibility of caring for trees is much more demanding than that. The best way to be sure your trees are properly cared for is to work with a tree service.
Delegating the service of your trees to a tree service will free you up to enjoy other leisure or activities with your family. Professional workers do a tree service to care for your trees. These services will be responsible for trimming the branches, carting away discarded branches, and examining the trees for possible diseases. You should consider tree services one of your essential exterior home maintenance services.
Since your trees are part of the appearance of your yard, by keeping them healthy, you are protecting your investment in your property value. A tree service typically includes at least one arborist (tree expert.) An arborist can examine your trees to see if there are any signs that they may have serious damage in the future. By learning this, you can take action to save the trees for your future enjoyment.
Removing Dead Trees
During routine tree services, the workers will sometimes find trees that are too damaged or diseased to remain in your yard. Identifying the trees in your yard that need to be removed is a specialized skill. Because of the necessary nature of this service, tree removal can be considered one of the essential exterior home maintenance services.
Some tree services can provide tree removal services when necessary. If your tree contractor doesn’t have the special training to perform tree removal services, they may be able to help you locate a tree removal service. Removing a tree takes great force and requires special training and tools.
When a tree is severely damaged, failing to remove it will harm the yard around it. Storms can blow broken branches into your garage or home, endangering your family. According to Angi, attempting to remove a tree alone might prove dangerous and difficult. A professional tree removal service knows the best ways to remove and dispose of diseased trees safely.
Shoring Up Your Seawall
If your home is in a shorefront community, you may need to have seawall repairs done on your property. Seawalls protect coastal land from erosion. If there is damage to the seawall, erosion and soil damage can occur to the land of your home. Landscaping companies in these communities will offer seawall repair services as one of the community’s standard exterior home maintenance services.
As a homeowner, one of your routine yard maintenance tasks must be to keep weeds out of the seawall area. You may think of removing weeds as a simple task. However, weeds can have extensive root systems, which can grow into the gaps made by seawall rocks. If the weeds are unchecked, their growth can endanger the seawall’s integrity.
Most seawalls include built-in weep holes, which are drain holes meant to ventilate the seawall cavities and to relieve hydrostatic pressure. Homeowners with seawalls must clean those weep holes regularly to maintain the integrity and structure of the seawall. Dirt, sand, and other debris can clog the weep holes. Proactive homeowners will often install filters in their seawalls to extend the protection of their regular cleaning.
Drain Your Deck
Having a deck attached to your home can give you a space to enjoy outdoor recreation with your family and friends. An attractive deck adds curb appeal to your home. Home experts often recommend installing a deck drainage system to protect your deck’s integrity and offer additional recreation options. Deck drainage systems consist of a layer of metal or rubber that fits underneath your deck.
A deck drainage system will allow you to keep your wood fresh and provide space underneath the deck where your family can enjoy themselves. Too much water retained in the deck’s wood could cause it to rot or decay. Deck drainage systems are typically constructed from a thick rubber or metal membrane. Deck drain installers will form these systems to fit directly under your deck and fit precisely into the space under your deck.
Some homeowners see deck drainage systems as valuable exterior home maintenance services. To take advantage of the deck drainage system, some install finished floors and walls in that space. They may even add a fire pit or place outdoor furniture in the space underneath the deck. These additional measures will provide recreational opportunities as well as additional curb appeal.
Cover Your Home
Your roof is the first line of your home’s defense. It protects your home from the elements and helps you to regulate your indoor temperature. You should work with a local roofer to help ensure your roof stays intact. An annual roof inspection will help you detect any upcoming roof repair problems before they can result in any damage inside your home.
Although the annual inspection is charged, homeowners should consider it an investment in their home. During a yearly roof inspection, the roofing contractor will look at your roof from the outside, checking all of its shingles and components. If you have an attic, the contractor will also go into the attic and check for roof-related issues.
Another aspect of your roof you may not have considered is its influence on curb appeal. In addition to its protective properties, your roof’s contribution to overall curb appeal confirms that roof maintenance is one of your essential exterior home maintenance services. When a prospective buyer sees a well-maintained roof, this can translate into a feeling of security about the home.
Pave Your Driveway
Having a smooth and attractive driveway may be something you take for granted. However, if you haven’t already done so, you should consider working with an asphalt paving contractor to repave or to upgrade the driveway. Wise homeowners realize that an asphalt driveway is a good investment. Those homeowners often consider driveway installation and maintenance to be one of their essential exterior home maintenance services.
According to My Site Plan, asphalt typically tops the list of popular types of driveway materials. The same website illustrates the reasons for this choice, including the speed of readiness. Asphalt can often be safely used within 24 -48 hours after installation, so you will have fewer days without a driveway.
Asphalt costs less than brick or concrete. Because asphalt can be installed quickly, it means fewer labor hours. Therefore, asphalt driveways become a cost-saving option in addition to the lower cost of materials (because of the lower labor cost.)
Let in the Light
Since windows protect your home from outdoor elements, they can be considered one of your essential exterior home maintenance services. If you don’t like how your windows look, that may seem reason enough to replace them. However, if you decide to replace your windows, take a few extra minutes to consider some of the guidelines for window installation. Those guidelines may save you time and money in the future.
Although there are times when new windows are needed, you may be able to repair them or apply weatherstripping instead of replacing them. You should also be sure you are ready to temporarily live without the part of the home where the windows are located – even if it’s outside the main room. Before you choose the following windows, check with your municipality, as energy-efficient windows are now required in some areas.
Energy-efficient windows have an extra layer of insulation or additional weather stripping. These seemingly small measures prevent outside air passage, resulting in lower energy bills in the future. Energy-efficient windows can also adapt to any style of decoration. If you have questions, consult a window replacement company.
Get Help at Home
Busy homeowners or those who don’t have home repair talents may find it necessary to work with one of the local handyperson services. Although some handymen may be able to work independently, you may prefer booking their services through a company that insists on certification and bonding. These services differ from house cleaning; they repair broken items, assemble new furniture, and help troubleshoot systems like electricity, plumbing, and HVAC.
Handyman services are frequently used for indoor tasks. However, workers from these services can also be asked to work outdoors. For example, you may need their help with your lawn or garden. If you find a reliable handy person service, they can become an invaluable part of your exterior home maintenance services team.
If you hire an independent handyperson, you should always check for a license and identification. Ask the handyman to give you a written estimate before beginning the job. As they are working, you should periodically inspect their work. Feel free to inform them if they are not working according to your expectations.
Prepare Your Field
There’s no denying that the appearance of your lawn is part of your curb appeal. Your lawn is a valuable part of your exterior home maintenance services. It will help if you use good lawn care habits and quality fertilizers to get the best-looking lawn. According to Bob Vila, using electric fertilizer spreaders will save you considerable time when applying it to your lawn.
To choose the best fertilizer spreader, ensure the device’s tires are fully inflated. Well-filled tires are invaluable when maneuvering around the yard. According to Bob Vila, the best material for designing the body of a fertilizer is non-corrosive stainless steel. The same website recommends a plastic hopper that is ideally situated to receive lawn clippings.
If you want to know the best type of fertilizer for your lawn, according to Lawnstarter, you’ll need to consider the ratio of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus found in the fertilizer you choose. The same website advises that homeowners who want their lawns to proliferate should look for fertilizer with a high percentage of nitrogen. The potassium in the fertilizer provides resistance to disease and overall plant health. Phosphorus helps the roots of your lawn become strong.
Expel Unwanted Animals
When you live near an open field or wooded area, unwanted animals may enter your yard. Unwanted animals like squirrels, raccoons, rats, or other wildlife can damage your garden or home. Keeping these animals from doing that damage to your home is essential to exterior home maintenance services.
To safely and humanely remove these animals, you must contact an animal exterminator. When these professionals arrive at your home, they will find a way to prevent the animals from entering or remove any unwanted animals from the house. A professional exterminator will hunt for the animals’ nesting sites and try to trap and remove them humanely.
If animals have already invaded your home, part of the contractors’ job will be to clean up after invading animals. Erasing the traces of these animals will remove the enticement for any animals that may want to go into the home. Some exterminator companies will also install a wire screen to keep animals from accessing the underside of the house for entry. When you take the time to protect and upgrade your home in these ways, you will find it instills additional pride in your home.
Remember: you don’t have to take all these actions yourself. By delegating these tasks to professionals, you will free up more time for you and your family to enjoy your home. Looking at the results of your hands – or at the investment you made to hire contractors – will help you appreciate the results of those efforts. You’ll look forward to coming home, and you’ll find yourself looking forward to many more years living there.