Here are a few helpful hints on preparing your home for the LOOOONG Pacific Northwest winter months. Not only will these tips help your home stay looking fresh, they will actually prolong their lives, saving you LOTS of money!!
1: Remove moss from your roof! ( Avoid most pressure washing as this often causes more dameage than good). Solutions & instructions can be found online or at most home improvement centers. There are lots of local Bellingham/Whatcom County companies that would be a great resourse for the best advice. Be sure to check condition of your flashing & repair any loose or damaged shingles too.
2: Clean gutters! We often overlook this task as we go through the dry summer months, only to realize there is a problem when rain water starts flowing over the sides of our gutters. This not only creates the possibility of crawl space flooding (or worse, BASEMENT FLOODING) as water is not wisked AWAY from the home, but also creates the increased the chance of indoor mold if windy conditions pushes water up into siding/eves.
3: Trim all vegetation 12″ away from siding. Remember to keep earth 6″ below/away fromyour siding & all other wood (window sills) while maintaining a gentle slope away from the home. Remove all the debris away from the home such as leafs to help keep pests away. And remeber to store firewood at least ten feet from your home to also help avoid pest infestation. It is easier to avoid the problems in the first place than it is to correct the problems later.
4: Keep an eye on your exterior window/Siding caulking for gaps, and fill accordingly. To help protect your home from water (and mold) keep all gaps and joints in siding (even around doors & windows) caulked and well painted for a great seal. Add storm windows in older homes for better hear efficiency as well.
As we all know, here in the great Pacific Northwest area of Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden etc, we have several LONG months where it seems like the rain and wind will not go away. If you own a home (or plan on buying/selling a home) these easy steps will help protect your investment. Most of these are low cost procedures that will go along way to prevent much costlier fixes down the road.
I will be posting more easy winter tips shortly, so don’t forget to come back. If you are looking to buy or sell your home and would like a free home valuation or free email alerts for new home listings sent to your inbox, it is super easy here on the site!
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