Owning a house is the ultimate fulfillment of the American dream, but it is not without its drawbacks. Maintenance expenses are a thorn in every homeowner’s side, but taking good care of your property does not always need to be costly. A few preventive steps that will not cost you much can ensure less structural damage and minimize the cost of further repairs. All you need is to be meticulous about it. Here are some steps to weatherproof your home without breaking the bank:
Install rain gutters
Rainwater can damage a home’s foundation when it is not properly drained. Installing a rain gutter helps prevent damage to the structure of any house by rerouting rain from the roof towards a drainage system. In areas of the Southwest where a precarious monsoon season can be a serious problem, homeowners should take it upon themselves to supply their homes with rain gutters, especially in Salt Lake City, Nevada, Arizona, and California, and similar areas with problematic weather.
Examine your insulation
To save on energy costs and prevent damage to your walls, attic, basement, or roof, ensure that your house is well-insulated. A well-insulated home means that there is less heat that escapes your house during the winter season while cool air remains inside during the summer. Be sure to add a new layer of batt insulation on old ones, or blow-in cellulose and fiberglass to fill up small crevices. This might be one of the more costly things you can do, but it is worth it as you will be saving plenty of money in other areas.
Trim trees near windows and roofs
During volatile weather, fallen debris from trees can crash into windows, roofs, and cars, causing extreme damage to your home. Taking the time to trim trees near these areas is something you can do for free, and ensures that both you and your home are safe in the event of extreme weather conditions. It would do well to clean up and get rid of stray leaves, branches, and other debris scattered on your driveway or roof to be extra safe. Leaves are highly flammable, while gutters clogged with leaves and branches will not work properly and would sustain damage eventually.
Fill cracks and holes
Inspect every crevice of your house for holes and cracks that could lead to leaks, larger structural damage, and even invasions of pests and rodents. Cracks in your driveway can be a liability as well. If water seeps into cracks on the pavement during winter, it could freeze and expand, cracking the pavement even more and creating troublesome potholes. You can plug up holes with steel wool, caulk, lath screen, hardware cloth, cement, closed-cell polyurethane foam, or metal sheeting, among other things.
Weatherproofing your place properly guarantees that you save on maintenance costs and keep the safety and security of your home. A little goes a long way when it comes to caring for your home, and you certainly do not need to spend a fortune managing it.
