It’s easy to overlook the importance of maintaining your home’s exterior, but it’s vital for protecting your property’s value, appearance, and structural integrity. Regular upkeep prevents minor issues from turning into major problems, ensuring your home remains safe, comfortable, attractive, and efficient. To help Twin Cities homeowners understand more about exterior house maintenance, we’ve put together this essential guide.
Why It Matters
We’ve all seen run-down houses, those eyesore homes that seem to bring down the value of the whole neighborhood due to their lack of upkeep. Unfortunately, the problems caused by poor maintenance are often more than skin-deep. Keeping on top of your exterior home maintenance checklist has a far-reaching impact on your living space.
1. Protects Structural Integrity
Pooling water, cracked siding, and environmental factors can all compromise the foundation and structure of your home. Routine cleaning of your roof and gutters, plus proper landscape care, can prevent critical damage.
2. Increases Energy Efficiency
Keeping an eye on your doors, windows, and siding and quickly addressing cracks and leaks prevents drafts. This simple exterior house maintenance ensures your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy that escapes outdoors.
3. Prevents Pest Infestations
Poor maintenance encourages pest infestations. Sealing up cracks and cleaning out crawl spaces deters bugs and rodents from setting up camp inside your home.
4. Boosts Curb Appeal
A well-kept exterior is nicer for you, your neighbors, and your guests to look at. It increases your home value, and is particularly important if you’re planning to sell.
Key Tasks for Your Exterior Home Maintenance Checklist
Chances are you spend far more time inside your home than outside. While you’re likely to notice if you’ve got a burnt-out lightbulb or leaky kitchen faucet, exterior house maintenance items are easy to overlook until it’s too late. Here’s what you should take care of regularly.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Well-functioning gutters are key because they direct water away from your roof, siding, and foundation. Gutter cleaning in the spring and fall removes clogs and helps you spot damage.
2. Siding Repair
Damaged siding provides an entry point for pests and moisture. Check annually for cracks, warping, or rot and fix problems ASAP.
3. Roof Inspection
Roof leaks can cause extensive damage and reduce energy efficiency. Inspect yours once a year and after major storms. Replace any missing or broken shingles so small problems don’t get worse.
4. Door & Window Maintenance
Poor seals cause drafts, and faulty locks and latches are a security concern. This is another smart annual task for your exterior home maintenance checklist.
5. Deck & Patio Care
Outdoor living spaces can be unsafe if the surfaces are damaged or warped. Inspect and clean decks and patios as part of your spring/summer exterior house maintenance, repair loose boards, and reseal wooden surfaces every few years.
6. Pressure Washing
Dirt, mold, and mildew accumulate on your home’s exterior surfaces, damaging them and causing potential health concerns. Pressure wash your home annually to limit buildup.
7. Fence Repair
For privacy and security, a well-maintained fence is key. Inspect fences, walls, and gates annually, and repair and repaint as needed.
8. Landscape Maintenance
An attractive lawn and garden make your home more appealing, and trimming bushes and trees enhances security while deterring pest infestations. Lawns should be mowed regularly, and trees and shrubs should be pruned at least once yearly.
9. Driveway & Path Inspection
Cracks and holes in driveways and paths are unsightly and could cause accidents and injuries.
Check your asphalt and concrete annually and reseal or repave when issues arise.
10. Exterior Painting
Fresh paint beautifies your home and protects exterior surfaces. Repainting once every 5-10 years is generally sufficient, but your homeowner’s association may require more frequent repainting. You should also paint if you see peeling, chipping, or fading.
Finding an Exterior House Maintenance Provider
Caring for your Minneapolis-St. Paul home can be an overwhelming task. Here are some tips for finding a service team to help manage your exterior home maintenance checklist.
- Do Your Research: Get recommendations from friends or neighbors, and check reviews for Twin Cities providers with reliable service.
- Get Multiple Quotes: Ask for quotes from several companies to compare services and prices, and be sure you understand what’s included.
- Verify Credentials: Work only with licensed, certified, and insured professionals so you’re protected in the event of accidents or property damage.
- Request References: Learn about a company’s quality of work and customer service by asking for references from past clients.
- Clarify the Terms: Ensure you discuss cost, how long a job will take, and warranties and guarantees before any work begins.
Whether you take care of these crucial exterior house maintenance tasks on your own or work with a trusted Minneapolis area professional, keeping your house in top condition is clearly a valuable investment. Contact us for a free quote and learn how Tomms handyman and home maintenance professionals can help keep your most important asset safe, comfortable, and beautiful for years to come.
