Extend the Life of Your Home

As a homeowner, general upkeep of your home should be your #1 priority. Not only will it add to your enjoyment of your home, but it will also…

• Keep the value of your home high
• Extend your home’s life
• Give your home more curb appeal

In this post, we’ll go over our top tips for maintaining a home for life. We’ll touch on the most important parts to stay on top of, as well as signs your home needs some maintenance TLC.

Inspect your home regularly

The first and most crucial aspect of maintaining a home for life is visually inspecting your home inside and out to find problem areas. After all, if you don’t check to make sure things are okay, you won’t know if problems exist.

Some areas in your home to check regularly:

• Roof
• Siding
• Windows
• Air conditioner and heating system
• Gutters
• Exterior and interior paint
• Chimney
• Fire and carbon monoxide detectors
• Foundation (for cracks)
• Basement or crawlspace

If you notice any damage or unusual wear, make sure to contact a professional for a more in-depth inspection. While visual inspections are important, unless you are a trained professional you can do more harm than good trying to diagnose and fix an issue yourself.

Make sure your home’s structure is sound

If the basics of your home’s upkeep are not covered, any other maintenance or improvements will be a lost cause. In fact, a lot of issues with other areas of your home can be traced back to issues with core parts of your home.

If you notice issues with any of the following parts of your home, contact Cutting Edge Contracting today. We are experienced home maintenance contractors and can help you restore the integrity of your home’s structure!

Roof

When your roof is not stable, bad things happen – particularly here in the Pacific Northwest. Rain can leak into your home and cause water damage. Critters can work their way in and destroy whole sections of your home. Without knowing that your roof is okay, it’s hard to put money into the rest of your home.

 

“When your roof is not stable, bad things happen…
particularly here in the Pacific Northwest.”

 

Simply put, an investment in your roof is an investment in your home’s longevity.

Even recently-built houses may need roof repair. Roofs don’t last forever, so if your house is over 20 years old, it might be time for a new roof.

Some signs you may need a new roof include:

• Curled and buckling shingles
• Missing shingles
• Shingles in your gutter
• Daylight coming through your roof
• Unexplained wet spots in your home
• It simply does not look good
• Excessive granule loss
• Shiny shingle (exposed fiberglass)
• Excessive moss

Siding

Siding does for the side of your home what your roof does for the top – it shields it from the world. Also similarly, a fault in your siding’s construction or any damage can mean dire consequences. Water, insects, rodents, and moist air can infiltrate your home and wreak havoc.

This can lead to:

• Mold
• Bug or animal infestations, including rats or mice
• Water damage
• Higher heating and cooling costs
• An ugly home
• Foundation issues
• Dry rot
• Frame damage

Signs you may need new siding include when siding is:

• Cracked. When siding has cracks, water will seep into your walls and home, leading to serious damage.
• Loose. Siding that has been installed incorrectly or damaged often becomes loose.
• Rotting. Rot weakens your siding and looks horrible.

Exterior paint

Exterior paint protects your home’s siding and preserves the siding’s effectiveness over the long term by lessening the effect of weather and sunlight.

One of the first things people notice when coming to your home is the paint and color of your home. Old paint jobs do not look good and will reduce the value of your home. Painting allows you the ability to customize the look of your home. See our guide to choosing exterior paint colors to learn more.

Some signs to look for when inspecting your home:

• Faded paint
• Damaged siding
• Peeling paint
• Cracked caulking
• You no longer like the look of your home

Windows

Windows serve as an important part of your home’s long term integrity and ability to stand up to harsh weather. Old, damaged windows not only look bad, but can let in less light and allow moisture into your home. Even if they are not leaking, the built up condensation can cause mold. Plus, old windows are drafty and let in air from the outside, increasing energy costs.

Take a look at your windows. Do you notice:

• Scratched, broken, or rattling panes
• Warped or cracked frames
• Drafts of temperature changes in the room
• Peeling paint or water stains
• Mold or rotting stills
• Condensation in the panes
• Vinyl starting to yellow out
• Sliders that don’t operate
• Wood windows not opening

Deck

While many people don’t consider their deck to be crucial to the integrity of their home, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Decks surfaces are constantly exposed to weather, meaning they require proper care and maintenance to keep stable and strong. Not taking care of them can mean a dangerous situation in your outdoor living space!

When taking a look at your deck, be on the lookout for the following issues:

• Damaged decking boards
• Cracked or warping deck boards
• Excessive peeling
• Improper ledger board installation,
• Improper footings
• Deck sagging

Remove debris

Cleaning up debris from around your home will go a long way to keeping your home well maintained.

This is most crucial on physical sections of your home like your roof. Branches can damage your home or attract pests. Another place where debris needs to be removed is your gutters. When debris builds up in your gutters, water can pool and cause damage to your roof and siding.

Debris can also lead to critters being attracted to your property, leading to the eventual infiltration of your home. It also just doesn’t look good!

Improve your home when you can afford to

Your home is your most important investment! When you can afford to, make improvements. While structural maintenance is the most important as it provides a base area to make smaller improvements, investing in your home will increase its value and the quality of your home. It will make your home more pleasant to live in and increase your quality of life.

Some good places to make more subtle home improvements include:

• Outdoor space
• The interior design of your home
• Energy star appliances

Make sure your home is in good standing

At Cutting Edge Contracting, we can help you make sure your home is maintained for the long haul. We have years of experience in the Portland and Vancouver area helping homeowners improve their homes!

Notice areas of your home that needs repair or maintenance? Contact us to discuss your options and learn more about how we can help!