Spend Some Money to Save Some Money.
When it comes to wear and tear on your house, nothing takes more of a beating than the Exterior. You may find that one side of your house is looking great while another side is falling apart. This is actually normal, and is usually caused by the weather elements consistently hitting your house from one direction. Most of the damage that I see on properties here in Hawaii is caused by either wind, rain, sun, salty sea spray, termites, rats, or leaks/irrigation overspray. Let’s go over some of the common things you can do to keep your house alive and looking good.
Exterior Paint. You are going to want to paint your house every 5- 10 years depending on a few elements.
- The Quality of the Paint Used. The bottom line is that the cheaper paint doesn’t last as long as the more expensive paint.
- The quality of the application. The amount of paint applied and how well it adhered to the surface can make a big difference. Pro painters will take the time to prepare the surface to be painted and then will possibly spray on the paint before either rolling or brushing the paint into the surface. Just spraying the paint onto wood doesn’t guarantee a quality bond between the two materials.
- The amount of weather the section of house experiences.
- How much you like the color. There is a good chance that you liked the color in the store and then hated it on your house. Try painting some sample colors on your house before making a decision.
- Protect horizontal surfaces. This goes for decks, concrete, asphalt, stone, brick, etc
- You can’t go wrong with sealing your wood deck once a year. This will insure that it lives a long life. If you’re building a new deck, then consider using a product that doesn’t need much maintenance such as Trex. If you living in a jungle environment then you might need to just cover your deck.
- Stone and Concrete can be sealed every two years. If you’re power washing the surface then you’ll have to do it more often.
- Fill in cracks in your asphalt and apply a sealer once a year.
- Roofing Issues
- It’s probably time to put on a new roof if you find yourself needing to make repairs. Be sure to repair any damaged areas immediately, before it starts raining. Check your roof after windstorms for damage. You might find that doing repairs buys you a few years but eventually you’re going to need the replace the entire roof. Be sure to get three bids and make sure the company you choose has insurance.
- If you have a reflective material built into your roof. Chances are that it is cooking your asphalt shingles and shortening the life of your roof. When it comes time to replace your roof, consider using metal roofing, which can take the heat better. People use asphalt roofing mainly because it is the cheapest, not the best performing. Don’t be afraid to spend more in the beginning in order to spend less in the long run.
- Windows
- Clean your windows regularly. If you can’t do it then hire someone else to do it. Your house isn’t clean if your windows are dirty.
- If you have heat coming through your windows into your house, then you should consider having tint applied. You’ll get your money back in energy savings.
- Repair holes in window screens or replace the entire screen frame if necessary. There are always screen companies around willing to help.
- Water Damage
- I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen sprinklers cause serious damage to houses. Walk around your house while the sprinklers are running and make sure water isn’t landing on any surfaces that could be damaged.
- Clean out your gutters and make sure the water coming out the downspout is getting drained away from the house.
- Get water leaks fixed immediately upon discovering them.
- Termites and Pests
- Termites can cause serious damage in a short period of time. You should call a professional immediately after seeing any signs of activity. Be sure not to poison yourself in the process. Do your homework and see what will work best for your situation. Have multiple companies come out to give you their opinion.
- The best thing you can do for rats, mice, and Cockroaches is to eliminate pathways for them to travel to and into your house. You will never be able to kill off the creatures living outside your house, just focus on keeping them from coming in.
