Winter Home Maintenance
Everyone is so busy these days it’s easy to forget those winter home maintenance jobs. We can help you keep you dry and everything functioning well so your home is comfortable and trouble free. It’s likely you would rather be snuggled up with a good book than climbing around your home sorting out these jobs.
Clean the guttering
If you live in a leafy suburb, it’s likely your gutters will be full of leaf and twig debris from the summer and autumn period. This means if we get heavy rain the likelihood is that you can sustain water damage from blocked guttering forcing the water in under you eaves to the ceiling space.
Before – guttering full of leaves
After clearing water can run away instead of into your roof space
Common damage from lack of maintenance are:
* Water stained plaster in the ceiling and wall
* Damage to light fittings
* Damage to floors from interior flooding
All of these can be expensive to repair depending on the spread of damage and its location.
A simple thing to do is have your guttering cleaned and checked, together with a good look over your roof flashing to ensure there is no deterioration of the water seal protection.
We can help with these jobs if you don’t have time to do it yourself – more details can be found on our home repairs page
Want to do it yourself?
If you intend to do the job yourself, prepare with:
- a pair of good gardening gloves to protect against cuts and spider bite.
- a quality ladder with stable footing to ensure your safety while above the ground. (Remember – never overstretch your reach while on a ladder)
- a guttering scoop – available from any hardware store for a couple of dollars
- a hose to clean down the spouting after you clear it so you can inspect easily
once clean, check guttering for signs of rust or other damage. - check the fascia behind the guttering to ensure no rot has occurred. Areas of water damage will be easy enough to see.
- repair damaged areas with replacement materials and paint to match
Checking of the roof area for damage is best done by an insured contractor like us as there is significant risk of falling or further damaging your roof.
Clean Pathways
During the colder months it is common for water to collect on pathways and pavers with little chance to dry. Mildew and moss will grow resulting in slippery surfaces. Risk of Injury is best prevented with regular maintenance of these areas.
You can see the difference!
In the Garden
Winter home maintenance isn’t complete without attending to your garden area. Raking the fallen leaves and twigs left from autumn helps keep pests away and provide great mulch for the spring. Others jobs include mulching the garden,repairing or installing that pesky watering system so you are ready when the warm weather returns.
Pruning of plants is a necessary winter task. It can be confusing for casual gardeners to know which plants need a solid trim and which ones just need a tidy up. There’s probably no-one more knowledgeable in this area than Jane Edmonson from gardening Australia. You can see more tips and information from her show here
We hope these few winter home maintenance tips will help you keep your home in tip top shape!
Cam Denison
All in One Handyman Services
Greensborough, Victoria
0404 799 444