When you have some long weekends or extended downtime, then it’s a good opportunity to look around your home to see what needs doing. There are always some improvements, fixes or replacements needed – it’s just how it is with homeownership.
Here are 4 home projects to get stuck into during your free time (and ones that should be outsourced).
Roofing Repairs
Storm season and more erratic weather patterns are not being friendly to any roofs presently. Shingle roofing tiles can shift out of position or get pulled right off the roof leaving a small part of it exposed.
Roofs are more complicated than they first appear. They have several layers to them including shingle tiles, felt layers, weather protective membranes, wooden supports and more. Therefore, loss of a tile or two followed by heavy rains can lead to damage below the surface level.
Fixing a roof is a job for residential contractors who understand how they’re created and are prepared to get up on the roof (or access the attic) to fix it. They also have all the safety equipment necessary to do it without causing injury to themselves or others (hundreds of thousands of Americans end up in the hospital annually due to falling off a ladder).
Related links: Cincinnati roofing companies
Window Cleaning and Maintenance
Windows benefit from a semi-regular cleaning program to enjoy them more and prevent bacteria from forming on the surface.
The windowsills and frames require a periodical review for problem areas. This can include cracked frames, broken windowsills and other issues that could allow moisture to get inside the wall structure. Also, window-related issues may lead to insulation trouble and air drafts too.
Perform a proper inspection. Use caulking to fill in any cracks and check for air seal problems after the work is completed.
Gutter Clean Up
The rain gutters that run around the top of the walls of your home perform an essential function.
The run-off from rainfall and the occasional melting snow in wintertime needs collecting and funneling to the drainage systems. Without effective gutters, water falling to the ground below can freeze, make it slippery or eventually cause foundation problems with too much still water present.
Due to the above reasons, cleaning out the gutters every few months is sensible. This involves removing broken twigs that have landed inside and fallen leaves (and any other debris) that has found its way into the gutters.
Fix a Blocked Garbage Disposal
When a garbage disposal unit has a jam and will no longer run, you may have temporarily given up on it. However, it’s not that difficult to resolve in most cases.
Most jams are resolvable with disposal under the sink. Most models come with a button that will reverse the flow to release the item that has gotten jammed up. This almost always fixes it. If you’re going to pull the stuck item out, do so with the power off for safety reasons.
Many home projects won’t take long to complete. Jump right into them when you have spare time to knock them out one by one.
