During the winter, you may be snuggling up with your favorite blanket by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. But outside, it’s an entirely different story.
What exactly happens to your exterior property during the harsh winter months? There is ice in your gutters and blankets of snow damaging your plants, peeling paint, and rotting siding – and these are just some of the problems winter brings.
Exterior Home Renovation: 5 Projects You Should Do This Spring
So when spring arrives, it’s time for your property to recover. Exterior home remodeling after winter not only gives you a chance to correct any winter damage on your property, but it also prepares your home for summer nights by the yard and future barbeques – we all know how big of a deal barbeque is here in KC. Here are five exterior updates you should consider this spring:
1. Lawn Deep-cleaning
We know this sounds weird but winter does a lot of harmful things to your turf other than just covering it with a thick blanket of snow. For instance, you might notice pink or gray circular patches on your lawn. This is called snow mold, a fungal disease that grasses get in extremely moist conditions.
How do you deal with the after-winter effect on your lawn? For snow mold, you can wait for them to disappear over time. But if the problem persists, rake up the soil and your grass will grow back good as new. Deep-cleaning your lawn after winter also includes:
- Lawn aeration
- Fertilizing
- Weeding
- Debris Cleanup
Roof Repair
During the cold months, your roof has done a fantastic job of protecting you and your family from the elements. After the season is over, it’s time to give your roof a well-deserved check-up. If you have the materials, you can do the minor repairs yourself, such as sealing small leaks and replacing damaged shingles due to ice and wind.
For major repairs, such as roof weight deflection due to excessive snow, cracking, and mold, it’s best to hire a professional for the job.
Rain Gutter Improvement
Rain gutters are susceptible to ice dams, icicles, and snow. There may also be other debris like twigs and leaves that have piled up in the gutters when the snow on the roof melted. After the cold months, clean your gutters off of dams that cause blockage and drainage issues.
You can remove small particles with a garden hose or plumber’s snake. For the best result and to prevent further damage on your gutters, we suggest you call a service provider.
Driveway Repaving
Much like grass, pavement can only take so much snow. When the ice starts to melt, the structural integrity of your asphalt driveway is compromised, resulting in cracks on surfaces.
To repair your driveway, hire a contractor that can seal the damage back together. If it is a hairline crack, you can fix it yourself. First, remove any debris from the surface, then apply crack filler using a caulking gun. Smooth it out by removing excess filler using a putty knife.
Siding Replacement
After being exposed every year to winter, you can’t expect your siding to remain 100% intact. Siding is basically at the frontlines when it comes to cold weather, with hailstones and falling debris damaging them. If you don’t attend to your siding immediately after the winter, you might not be dealing with just cracks, rots, and peeling, but moisture infiltration. For this job, it’s better to let the pros handle it.
Snow, ice, and rainwater may have hurt your exterior property in more ways than you can imagine. While it is not advisable to brave the elements to protect your home, you should immediately make updates, upgrades, and repairs by the time spring rolls around.
For your exterior home remodeling needs, you have us to assist you. Get a quote today for your spring project.
