The less-obvious spring home maintenance checklist

As you inspect the exterior of your home, it’s easy to focus just on the roof and siding. But, it’s important to look a little closer to make sure that all exterior components of your home are in good condition and functioning properly. This includes the fascia, soffits, windows, doors, gutters, and downspouts.

Fascia

Fascia is the edge of your home that meets your roof, where gutters are fastened. Its condition is important both for curb appeal and the integrity of your roof. Wet and dry rot, deterioration due to sun exposure, decay, splits in the wood, bowing, and pest damage can all threaten your fascia. Inspecting your fascia annually can help you spot these issues before they become big problems. If you have concerns about your fascia, contact a professional who has the proper tools and expertise to address the situation.

Soffit

The soffit is the underside of your roof’s overhang. By the nature of it, soffit is protected from the sun, but still susceptible to many of the issues that can affect fascia, especially pest damage. Look for spots that are soft or worn out because they could turn into points of entry for unwanted guests. 

Windows

There are many things to inspect when it comes to your windows. If your sashes can be removed, do so in order to check the stiles and rails for damage. Inspect the glass for cracks, and if you locate any, contact your window installer as soon as possible. If you have double- or triple-pane windows—as you should—make sure there isn’t moisture or fogging between the panes. Next, check the weather strip to prevent water leakage and energy loss. Replace it if it’s missing, torn, cracked, brittle, discolored, gummy, or otherwise worn out. 

Window exterior siding joints

Make sure there is a proper seal between the window and siding to protect from the elements, and keep water and air from seeping into your home. Check the joint for cracks, voids, and/or deterioration. Use high-quality sealant to fill the voids. Examples include 100% polyurethane sealant, which can be painted, or 100% silicone sealant, which is the most durable option but cannot be painted. Do not seal areas that your contractor did not seal originally, and seek their opinion if you’re unsure about applying sealant.

Doors and hinges

Inspect your doors for warping, cracking, splitting, dents, and/or scratches. If there are glass inserts, look closely for cracks or moisture or fogging between glass panes. The latter are indicators of seal failure. Check the weatherstrip to make sure it’s not missing, torn, cracked, brittle, discolored, gummy, or otherwise worn out. Also check the sweep—the flexible material on the bottom of your door—to make sure it is not torn or missing components. The sweep should be compressed by the threshold by about ⅛”. If it is not, you can use the screws on the threshold to adjust it. 

Gutters and downspouts

In addition to cleaning your gutters, be sure they are not cracked, sagging or bowing because gutter damage can lead to water damage to your foundations, doors, windows, or roof. Most importantly, be sure that all your gutters slope toward the downspout to prevent standing water. Then, check the connection between the downspout and the gutter and the attachment between the downspout and your home. Finally, look for leakage in joints, and make sure they were not installed upside down.

Having peace of mind is key

At the end of the day, the point of inspecting all these aspects of your home’s exterior is to make sure that every piece of your home is in good condition, even the more obscure components. All these things work together to protect your home from damage. If you have concerns about anything related to this checklist or any other parts of your home’s exterior, don’t hesitate to contact us at Keyprime for an honest and fair assessment.

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