Tackle those easy D-I-Y home touch-ups now
Whether you like it or not, everyone is spending more time at home these days. While the commute to your home office is a lot easier than tackling Houston freeways every morning, the extra time at home probably has you noticing some overdue maintenance items you’ve avoided for a bit too long.
Now is as good as time as any to tackle pesky projects that should be on your annual home maintenance to-do list.
First, caulk and seal. Keeping a healthy seal on your home helps in more ways than you probably realize. Humidity and water control, keeping bugs and pesky critters out, etc. Inspect both the inside and outside of your home at least once a year and do the touch-ups and necessary caulking or sealing repairs. Use acrylic caulk on any non-wet interior areas and silicone caulk for any wet areas.
On the exterior of your home, use an elastomeric silicone caulk, as it better protects from water and mold and has elastic qualities that help it remain strong despite shifting or stretching. If you have large gaps to fill, consider using foam backer rod to fill the gaps before applying your caulk. This ensures the caulk has something to hold onto and aids against future gapping.
In addition to touching up caulk, inspect weatherstripping and draft stops to ensure they don’t need replacing. You can pick up new weatherstripping from the local hardware store, and it is easy to install yourself.
Once your house is sealed nicely, it is time to focus on drywall cracks and nail pops. Small hairline cracks and nail pops in drywall are common and happen due to subtle shifts over time. Generally, small cracks are nothing more than an eye soar. To repair, all you need is some joint compound. Remember — less is more when applying any type of filler. Take your spackle and spackle knife and apply in thin layers until the crack or nail pop is now even with the rest of the drywall surface. From there, you can do any necessary touch-up paint or even repaint the entire wall for the best uniform outcome.
Lastly, if your concrete, siding or brick is looking dingy, consider giving it a nice power wash. You can rent power washers from your local hardware store. Depending on level of dirt or algae build up on the exterior of a house, it’s possible to get away with using a pre-rinse application with a cleaning solution and regular garden hose to break down the build-up. If your pre-rinse does not do the job, use a fan tip (30 degrees or more) on your power washer at start at the top of the wall and work your way down moving right to left, left to right. The same method can be used for driveways, starting at highest point and washing downward following the drainage. Be sure to avoid windows and remain at a safe distance so the pressure doesn’t do any damage.
Take advantage of these spring weekends at home and tackle that to-do list. Your house will be in better shape to withstand the test of time because of it.
This article was provided by a member of the Remodelers Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association. The Remodelers Council is dedicated to promoting professionalism and public awareness of the remodeling profession through education, certification and service to the Houston community. For more information on this article, please contact Lorraine Hart at lorraine@idealconsulting.net. To join the council or to find a professional remodeler in your area, please visit www.ghba.org.