Check, clean and caulk
Posted on Saturday, October 18, 2008
Face it. Houses can’t fix themselves. They need our help. That’s why we need to do a routine checkup every six months.
In theory, maintenance and repairs should be done as soon as a problem appears, but most of us procrastinate. So even if we dread dragging ourselves out of bed to spend a checkup-fix-up weekend or two, it’s the smart thing to do. That’s because: You’ll maintain the value of your property. The house will be safer and more comfortable to live in. Regular small repairs prevent little problems from growing into those needing large expensive repairs. A house in tip-top shape usually sells more readily and brings a higher price. If you are an experienced, dedicated do-it-yourself person, accomplishing routine repairs — even many major projects — is a relative snap. If you don’t have the skills or the time to apply those you do have, you can hire a handyman or repair service to do all or part of the work. Either way, the regular checkup is essential. We’ve burrowed into more than 20 how-to books, newsletters and Web sites to assemble a list of potential trouble spots and maintenance steps for fall. They don’t all apply to each and every house but will identify places needing attention.
UP ON THE ROOF A lot happens on the roof. If you feel unsafe clambering up a ladder and walking around on slanted surfaces, ask a friend or neighbor for help or pay a handyman to do an inspection for you. Ask the person to photograph problem areas using a cell phone or digital point-and-shoot camera so you can see and more clearly understand problems.
Here are things that might need doing: Replace curled, damaged or missing shingles. Prune tree limbs or branches overhanging the roof, including those that might swing far enough to smack it during high winds. Check flashing and caulking at all the spots that traditionally need it: roof valleys, chimneys, vent stacks, skylights, places where dormers and other walls meet the roof, along eaves, and at the ends (rakes ) of a gable roof. If you have no experience with flashing, check DIY books or do a Web search on “roof flashing” to learn what to look for.
Be alert for signs of corrosion, pinholes and damage to flashings, old sealants and rotten wood (especially for areas of the roof that feel squishy underfoot ). You may need to pry up a few shingles to check the flashing (take care not damage the shingles ); use a mirror and flashlight to look underneath for damage or old sealants. Be sure vents and louvers allow free air movement. Clean screens and remove birds’ nests, spiders, insects and dust.
IN BETWEEN Check siding for gaps, buckling and bowing, cracks, mold and scrapes. You may need to replace or reseat a section, power wash or do touch-up painting. Look for crumbling mortar joints on brick facing. Remove loose mortar and repoint. Step-cracks above a window or door indicate building settlement or failure of the lintel above. If the latter, support bricks above the opening, replace the lintel and repoint. A resource on brick maintenance is www. pathnet. org. If all or part of your house is covered in ivy, consider removing it every few years to check the condition of the walls. Use a nonselective weed killer. Or cut ivy back at the stems, then carefully scrape or brush off tendrils (or use a propane torch, taking care to avoid wood or anything else flammable ). Leave some stems if you want to regrow the ivy. Clean gutters and drain pipes and be sure they’re draining away from the house. Examine seams and use gutter sealant to close any leaks. Look under the gutter. If you see daylight between the gutter and fascia (the board the gutter is nailed to ), remove loose spikes and replace with gutter bolts from the hardware store. Check paint to see if it needs touchups. Peeling paint can occur for a number of reasons. If it comes off leaving no color on the wood, remove the loose paint, sand and use an oil-based primer before repainting.
If paint is peeling on the outside walls of bathrooms, the kitchen or protected areas, it could mean inside humidity is too high, there’s poor ventilation, or (in older houses ) no vapor barrier. Install fans or a dehumidifier inside; prime and repaint outside. Mildew or gray stains on shady sides need a wash with a bleach solution or mildew cleaner; apply an oil-based primer and paint with mildewcide. Discolored trim or rotting bottoms of boards indicate water or sun damage or a flashing failure.
GARDEN TOOLS Cleaning and storing garden tools ensures they’ll be ready to go in the spring, will last longer and provide more efficient and productive hours in the garden. (Yes, we should clean them after every use, but we don’t. ) Tour your yard and gather tools, equipment or supplies left outside.
Dirt left on metal encourages rust. Hose down tools to remove stuck-on dirt, first using a wire brush or steel wool if necessary. If you find rust, remove it with steel wool or light sandpaper.
Tools with sharpened edges, such as axes and pruning shears, should be wiped down to remove any gums and saps, then rinsed and dried.
Even after washing and drying, steel tool heads can rust when exposed to oxygen. Spray the metal with a thin coat of lubricant oil or silicone spray. Not all sharp-edged tools need regular sharpening. Lawn-mower blades and grub axes usually take a beating and are candidates for grinding. Beware of overheating the steel or it will lose its hardness; dip the tool in water periodically. You also can use a hand-held mill file, oiled honing stone or whetstone for sharpening such tools as hoes, shovels, pruning blades and knives (follow directions that come with the product ). A year-round trick: Fill a 5-gallon bucket with clean, dry sand and saturate it lightly with new motor oil. When you’re finished using shovels, spades, trowels, forks and other tools, scrape off most of the dirt, then plunge the tool up and down into the mix. Wipe dry before storing. Smooth rough wood on tools’ handles with sandpaper, then apply paste wax, 3-in-1 light machine oil or linseed oil. Store tools in a dry spot off the floor.
MORE OUTDOORS Remove metal garden stakes from the ground; clean and apply oil. Drain water from hoses. Store inside or in a protected area. Turn off water to sprinkler system and cover and insulate its pump. Use up the fuel in the lawn mower and other tools or add gas stabilizer so it won’t corrode the tank. Store pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers where children and pets can’t get into them. If a pesticide is in a paper container, put the container into a plastic bag and seal it. Put on gardening gloves, wet them under a faucet, soap up and scrub them, then rinse and dry. To clean terra-cotta pots and saucers, soak in a solution of nine parts warm water to one part chlorine bleach. Immerse them for a few minutes and lightly scrub off deposits with a metal brush. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. Clean lawn furniture. For white plastic chairs showing mold or mildew, wipe with a solution of one part bleach, three parts water and a small amount of detergent. Coat with a wax / sealant like Gel-Gloss (www. gel-gloss. com ).
Screen or block all small openings where critters might enter the house. Remove window air conditioners or put weatherproof covers on them.
TIGHTEN UP THE HOUSE Install weatherstripping or an interlocking door bottom / threshold on exterior doors if needed. Check caulking wherever two materials meet, including where wood siding joins the foundation wall, at inside corners and where window and door trim meet the siding. If old, remove it and recaulk. If a window still leaks air, check the putty around the glass; see if the window needs weatherstripping. Examine the seals and insulation on air ducts. Make sure insulation and vapor barriers are in good shape. A useful source on insulation is www. doityourself. com / scat / atticinsulation.
INSIDE JOBS Switch ceiling fans to winter mode. Check (and change ) batteries in your smoke and other detectors. Clean the dryer vent. Follow instructions in the owner’s manual. Most tell you to detach the 4-inch duct leading to outside the house by unfastening the clamp. If the hose is long, use a vent cleaning brush. If it’s short you can do it by hand. Use a rag to get out the last bits. Door locks can become tighter during cold weather, so give them a shot of liquid graphite or silicone lubricant. Check the inside and outside of foundation and basement walls and piers for cracks or signs of water seepage.
Have the furnace inspected and condenser cleaned. If you regularly use a fireplace or stove, hire a professional chimney sweep. Look for loose or missing mortar and be sure the damper closes tightly.
Insulate any waterlines that may freeze.
Use a grease can. In winter, bacon and other greases that solidify are likelier to clog drains. (Use such a can year-round; getting grease out of wastewater is a big problem. Keep it in the refrigerator and toss when full. ) Coming next week:
Should you tackle house repairs and improvements yourself ? Or hire a handyman ? Marcia Schnedler will help you sort it out.
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