To keep your house in tip-top shape, you must perform regular home maintenance. It can be challenging to decide what needs to be done and when, though, because the seasons and weather vary from year to year. You can keep up with home repairs and maintain the condition of your home while avoiding future, more expensive repairs by being ready for changes throughout the year.
We’ve created this seasonal home maintenance guide as a result, along with some handyman advice from our professionals at Handyman Toronto. You’ll discover how to safeguard your home from severe weather and other typical problems that come along with a changing climate, whether it’s the middle of a chilly winter or a scorching summer day. We’ll start first with learning how to shield your roof from extreme weather conditions.
Spring: Outdoor Upkeep and Repairs
Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to move your home maintenance outside! The important thing is to make sure your home stays in excellent condition throughout the season, whether you choose to handle repairs yourself or hire a professional.
Here are some outdoor maintenance tips for spring:
- Examine and clean your gutters: Remove any leaves or other debris that may have amassed over the winter, and make sure the gutters are securely fastened to their brackets.
- Examine your roof to ensure that it is in good condition and free from extreme weather-related damage. Search for signs of damage such as loose shingles, cracked tiles, and other issues.
- Clean up your yard by raking up any leaves or twigs that have fallen over the winter, pruning any dead bushes and branches, and looking for pests like carpet beetles.
- Have your chimney inspected: Spring is the ideal time to inspect and clean out any soot that has accumulated over the winter if you have a wood-burning fireplace.
Preventing Exterior Damage in the Summer
When the temperature continues to rise, it’s time to consider how to shield your house from the summer heat. Keeping your roof safe from severe weather like hail and strong winds during the summer is one of the most crucial aspects of home maintenance.
You can take several steps to complete this task:
- Start by cutting back any tree branches that are close enough to the roof to rub against it. This lessens the possibility of branches poking through the fabric or scratching it.
- Check for any missing or damaged shingles as soon as your trees are free of obstructions and replace them right away.
- Examine your flashing near chimneys and other places where two materials converge and replace any worn-out or damaged parts.
- Apply a fresh coat of sealant to your asphalt shingle roof every few years to aid in preventing heat, water, and ultraviolet rays from penetrating your roof.
- If your roof is made of tiles, make sure that each tile is firmly fastened in place. If any tiles are loose, you should seal them with cement or another waterproof material.
You can be sure that your roof is well protected against the harsh summer weather by taking these steps, and it will last for many years to come.
Fall: Cleaning Downspouts and Gutters
The autumn season is the ideal time to inspect and clean your gutters and downspouts. Are your gutters clogged with summertime debris like leaves and twigs? Is there any standing water in your downspouts or gutters? If so, you must care for them right away before more leaves begin to fall.
Why is it important?
By removing water that collects around the roof, gutters and downspouts are crucial for protecting your roof from severe weather. Additionally, it is crucial for protecting your foundation from moisture. You run the risk of having water damage your home’s foundation if your gutter system isn’t working properly.
What can you do?
Fortunately, cleaning out your gutters and making sure everything is functioning properly is not too difficult. A handyman service like Oddjob.ca can clear your gutter system of any debris that is clogging it or endangering it. They will also check to see if any additional repairs are required to guard against future weather-related problems or potential water damage.
Winter: Protect Your Roof From Severe Weather
Winter can be brutal on our roofs, with its freezing temperatures and copious amounts of snowfall. But before the cold weather arrives, you can take precautions to safeguard your roof and keep it in excellent condition.
Check Your Roof Frequently
Check your roof frequently throughout all seasons, not just during the winter, to make sure it is in good condition. A qualified roof inspector will be able to check for any existing or potential damage, such as cracked shingles, discoloration, missing material from excessive wear, and more, using the right equipment and knowledge.
Check the insulation and the flashings.
Checking for signs of damage in the flashings around your chimney or other roof openings is another smart move. It’s time to call a handyman service to take action before the cold weather arrives if you notice that the shingles close to these areas have grown brittle or exhibit signs of wear and tear. The same is true of insulation; if you notice that it is lumpy or loose, it needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
Strengthen and clean your gutters.
When it rains heavily or when the snow melts in the spring, clearing your gutters of leaves and other debris is crucial to preventing water from collecting on or around your roof. It’s also a good idea to add braces to them to strengthen them so they can withstand any winter storms or strong winds that may come. This will help prevent them from being harmed by these environmental factors, which could later require expensive repairs.
Regular Maintenance Checks: A Year-Round Plan
If you want to maintain the health of your roof, winter is a season that is especially important. This is why it’s crucial to include roofing maintenance on your list of seasonal home maintenance tasks. To make sure the roof can withstand the harsh winter weather and strong winds, it is crucial to inspect it before and after the season.
Regular roof inspections enable you to quickly spot and address any damage, such as missing shingles or cracked tiles. Here are some recommendations for shielding your roof from severe weather:
- Keep Downspouts and Gutters Clear: Keep downspouts and gutters free of fallen leaves, twigs, and other debris that could clog them up or cause blockages that result in water damage during torrential rain or snowfall. Check the downspouts as well to ensure they are unobstructed and draining properly.
- Look for Ice Dam Signs: If not addressed right away, ice dams can lead to leaks, and water seeps through damaged shingles, so look for them every time it snows. If you notice either of these indications, have it fixed right away by getting in touch with a seasoned handyman service like ours!
- Check Roof Vents: Ensure that all the vents are properly sealed with caulk or foam insulation to increase the effectiveness of keeping warm air inside and cold air out of your attic during the winter months, thereby drastically lowering energy costs!
- Inspect Flashing: Check that all the flashing around chimneys, windows, valleys, and other areas is firmly fastened in place with tar adhesive or metal screws to prevent water from entering the house through these openings.
Hiring a Handyman in Toronto, Canada
If you live in Toronto, Canada, and need a trustworthy handyman to assist with home maintenance, look no further. Regular home maintenance performed by a handyman will keep your space safe, modern, and appealing.
So what services can you expect from a qualified handyman in Toronto? Some of the most popular services are listed below:
- Painting Services – From interior to exterior painting, our team of professional painters will complete the job correctly and securely.
- Drywall repairs – Our knowledgeable drywall repair specialists can assist you in quickly and affordably repairing damaged walls or ceilings.
- Plumbing Services – Our plumbing experts can handle all of your plumbing needs, from fixture replacements to pipe repairs and drain cleaning.
- Carpentry Repairs – Our carpenters have the experience necessary to complete the job correctly and with attention to detail, from door repairs and window installations to deck building and furniture assembly.
- Tile Repair – Whether your grout needs to be re-sealed or a broken tile needs to be replaced, our tile repair experts can have your flooring look brand-new in no time!
- Deck and Fencing Refinishing – From power washing decks to staining fences, we have the expertise and tools required to guarantee a high-quality finish on all outdoor projects.
In order to keep up with your home maintenance in any season, hire a professional handyman in Toronto as soon as possible. To learn more about the services, get in touch with Toronto’s best handymen right away.
Home maintenance should be taken seriously throughout the year, whether it is winter, spring, summer, or fall. Keeping your home in good condition requires protecting your roof from extreme weather conditions. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” as the saying goes.
When it comes to roof maintenance, it’s crucial to take care of any damage that is already present before it gets worse. If proper maintenance is not carried out, your roof might not operate as intended, which could result in more serious damage. If you’re not comfortable taking on the project yourself, find a skilled handyman to assist you. Professional assistance might be required. In this manner, regardless of the season, you can be certain that your roof will last a lifetime!
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