Maintaining your house throughout the year can bring with it many challenges, and indeed some unforeseen costs. One area in particular that can often get neglected is outside the home, yet this is the first place that many visitors to your home will see. So, with this in mind, we thought we’d share six tips to maintaining the exterior of your home.
6 Tips to Maintaining Outside Your Home
1. Check the Roof
Although we’re just a month into autumn, we’re sure like us you’re starting to notice a bit of a change in the weather. With the colder, wetter days drawing in, one area we recommend checking outside your home is your roof.
If you have a head for heights it may be something you want to check yourself, otherwise seek out the help of a joiner or someone with a head for heights 😊. Check for any damaged tiles or anything that looks like it may need repaired. This is something worth checking after any bad storms as well.
2. Clean Your Gutters
The gutters are a crucial, if slightly unsightly feature of any house. Guttering helps rainwater flow without presenting any issues to your walls or the groundworks of your home. If your guttering has issues, this could potentially lead to water damage and mould issues.
Autumn is the main season where gutters are at risk, mainly due to leaves and other plant matter which can often clog up your guttering creating blockages, and lots of mess!
Ideally, you should try to clean the gutters at least twice a year: in the spring and autumn. This will ensure smooth flow of water away from the house. To keep the gutters clean, you can outsource gutter cleaning or simply use a pipe cleaner and hose to wash them yourself. You’ll probably get your hands dirty if doing this yourself, so invest in some decent gloves!
During the cleaning process watch out for cracked guttering, as these will need to be replaced.
3. Inspect Your Walls and Concrete Structures
It is important when you are inspecting the exterior of the home to take a closer look at the concrete surrounding the structure. Concrete lasts very well over time, however it can be affected by harsh weather conditions and cracks or holes can form.
Take a look around the house and make sure that there are no big cracks or patches of concrete missing. If there are, our advice would be to contact a building contractor or a tradesman that you know.
4. Check Outside Taps and Hoses
Another feature of most houses that can be pretty easily forgotten is outside taps and hoses. If you have a tap outside, now and again you’ll want to inspect it and make sure that it is securely on the wall. Also check for cracks in your hosepipe and make sure you take the time to either repair issues or buy new items if needed.
When it comes to the winter months it might be worth turning the nozzle slightly to ensure regular drops are coming from it. This will stop it from freezing over.
5. Clean the Patio
The patio is like the living room of your garden. It is most likely where you will spend your time during the summer hosting barbecues and enjoying parties. It is important therefore to keep the patio clean and tidy throughout the year.
Cleaning the patio can be a super fun activity if you have a pressure washer, and it will be incredibly easy for you to clean the paving flags and make them look fresh as new in minutes.
Your patio area can get particularly dirty during the autumn/winter months due to the elements and things like fallen leaves, so it’s an area to give special attention to, and always ensure it’s safe for you, your family and visitors to your home.
6. Clean and Secure Windows and Doors
One final thing when it comes to checking the exterior of your home is to check your doors and windows, especially if your house is an old house. Check for any damage that would make it easy for damp to get in, or even worse, opportunist burglars in the run-up to the festive season.
If you feel your doors and windows are in need of an upgrade, we recommend getting a professional out to do an inspection and see what work needs done.
Got Something to Add?
What do you look for when it comes to a checklist for the exterior of your home? Let us know in the comments section below.
Until next time, thanks for reading.
Helen, Nial and Lewis
Welcome to Pikalily, an award-winning food, travel and lifestyle blog. We are Nial and Helen, a happily married couple from Northern Ireland, who share a passion for food and travel among many things. We became parents to our beautiful boy Lewis in 2017. Follow our adventures through the blog.
