By Jay Gregg
The Polar Vortex sent a shiver across the entire country this year, but now that the snow has melted it’s the perfect time to identify necessary post-winter home repairs. If you experienced a brutal winter this year, chances are many things around the house need repairing. Some of the most common issues homeowners have are damaged gutters and shingles, worn out heating systems and distressed driveways. Now that the grass is finally green it’s time to get to work!
The winter storms this year brought record levels of heavy snowfall, which likely led to bent or broken gutters and spouts covered in debris. Fall leaves, ice and snow can weigh down gutters, causing them to separate from the roof. They can also rip away from the house, possibly damaging the side of your home.
During the winter, you should keep an eye out for ice dams and frozen gutters. This is common after snowstorms when snow melts and reforms as ice near the edge of the roof, preventing drainage in the gutters. The water will often seep beneath the roof, causing leaks and more damage to the interior of your home. Depending on what your roof is made of, look for loose shingles or metal. If you have a chimney, skylight or dormer, inspect those for cracks as well.
The process required to plow and salt your driveway throughout the winter is necessary, but also damaging to your driveway. Shoveling, snow plows and salt used to melt the ice can eat away at your driveway and sidewalks. After lots of snowfall, the concrete around your home tends to retain water and begin to crack. Once it’s warm out, you should seal those cracks by power-washing the concrete and re-sealing it.
Sealing your driveway is both simple and economical if applied correctly. First you must cure the concrete by removing loose debris such as mud, dirt and leaves. Use a pressure washer to remove oil or grease stains and then allow the concrete to dry. You should allow the driveway to cure for 20 to 30 days before applying a sealer. Don’t apply water-based siloxane sealers until the concrete has dried for at least 24 hours. Remember, water on the driveway will dilute the sealer, which will limit the amount of sealer getting into the concrete. Once it is ready, you can apply the sealer by spraying it, rolling it on or brushing it onto your driveway. Once the sealer cures, it becomes bonded to the driveway and will provide protection for years.
The recent freezing temperatures have also likely pushed your home furnace to keep the home warm during the storms. The biggest culprit in a heating system breakdown is a dirty filter. As the dirt accumulates, air cannot pass, or worse, the system can overheat. Dirty air filters also cause poor air quality in your home, which can affect everyone, including pets. When an air filter is clogged, more energy is being used, causing your energy bill to skyrocket as well. Replacing your furnace filter is an easy and inexpensive step to take in order to save money, extend the life of your system and improve your indoor air quality.
Determining these post winter issues could be stressful, so calling on a professional home inspector after dealing with such a dreadful winter could take a huge weight off a homeowner’s shoulders. Having these damages repaired will beautify the exterior of your home just in time for the warmer weather.
Jay Gregg is Pillar To Post’s director of marketing as well as a certified home inspector based in Orangeville, Ont. Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post is now the largest home inspection company in North America with over 400 franchisees. www.pillartopostfranchise.com.
