If you do one thing around your home this week...

If you do one thing around the house this week, make sure your gutters discharge water away from your home. With the snow melted, you'll be able to see this better. If you need to, you can pick up those little "ramps" that help guide the water away from your home.  Enjoy the week...it sure is windy out there!  Paige

It’s Almost SPRING!  Home Maintenance Tips that Pay off Big

Spring is a great time of year for New England Home owners. Milder weather will be enticing us outdoors, energy will be running high. It will be time to  get excited about spending time with the family and friends on the deck or patio.  It ’s time to renew, repair or even replace elements of your home's exterior that have taken a beating during the harsher months of winter. Doing so in spring will free up the wonderfully long days ahead for carefree pleasure... and save you money by taking care of small problems before they become costly major repairs.

So tour the exterior of your house and jot down the things that need to be done to recapture the original beauty and solid construction of your Home Sweet Home.

Take it from the top!

Start with the roof - Check for leaks, missing or broken shingles or tiles and damaged flashing and arrange to have everything repaired or replaced before the spring rains arrive.

Gutters and downspouts - Remove leaves and debris, then run a hose on the roof to check for proper drainage (away from the house) and to locate leaks that need to be sealed.

Inspecting the siding - Clean any mildew from the surface of the siding using a 3 to 1 ratio of water to bleach, and also wash away dirt and leaves that might have been serving as nourishment for the mildew. If the siding is seriously faded or the color is looking dated, consider giving it a fresh new look by having it painted.

Check wood surfaces (trim, doors, shutters, window sills, door sills, thresholds) - Scrape peeling paint and sand smooth before applying a high-quality primer and two coats of acrylic latex paint. Replace rotten wood. Carefully inspect areas where surfaces join (trim, windows, doors), filling cracks and applying caulking to seal out the elements.

Don't forget the foundation - Check for cracking or deterioration and call in a professional for repairs.

Rein in landscaping - Trim overgrown foundation plantings that may be contributing to mildew growth or marring painted surfaces.

It pays to think ahead! Get these chores done so you can relax and spend special times with family and friends!

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781-740-4044

http://boston-south-shore.certapro.com/

You will be glad you did!

Tips for winter weather

If you do one thing around your home this weekend it's check for ice dams! Ice dams occur when ice forms in your gutters and water back up under the shingles of the roof. This causes leaking inside your home. Damage can be done to inside walls which may require replacement of wall boards and a fresh coat of paint to the entire room. You will need a good house painter!

To fix this issue permanently you must be sure your attic is well insulated and ventilated.  The temporary fix is very popular these days in the very cold New England. Fill an old pair of pantyhose with ice melt (calcium chloride) and pop them on the roof so it lays across the ice dam and dangles over the gutter. The ice will melt and the water will find a way to drain off the roof! Easy!