What’s up with spring weather in Maryland?

By Kim Cox:

Is spring finally here?

Hmmm… It seems to be… or at least it’s supposed to be.

And unless you’ve been living underground for the last several weeks, you and your home have been subject to massive extremes in temperatures and precipitation.

I mean really? Monsoon rains, hurricane force winds howling one day, a few days later… snowing in the mid 30s… and the very next day… it’s a beautiful sunny day in the 80s. Jeesh. It could only happen here in Maryland.

Ok… It just means that now’s the time to check for winter damage to your home, if you haven’t already done so.

There’s much to do, so here are some of the biggies we’ve seen cause costly, major headaches for people…

Damaged or leaking gutters and downspouts cause drainage and water damage nightmares

Check for gutters that have fallen off, or downspouts broken or plugged up which causes torrents of rain water going exactly where you don’t want it to. Either flooding your basement or washing away your landscaping.

Leaking or damaged roofing materials or shingles

Heavy winds have blown lots of shingles off local roofs; ice dams have torn gutters off, and created inside leaks. Also check for curling or damaged shingles and damaged flashing. These things should be taken care of quickly before they turn into major repairs/

Leaking skylights

Yep… With the hurricane force winds and torrential rains, we’ve even had reports of improperly installed skylights literally blowing off the roof. Not to mention leaks forcing people to be on 24hr bucket patrol to catch the leaks from inside. What a pain in the butt. Do yours leak?

Old or damaged windows

Check your windows and trim for rot or mold. Did it feel like the wind was blowing inside your home on those windy days? Got busted windows? Hard time opening and closing them? Maybe it’s time for a checkup…

Damaged siding

Look for damaged or missing siding. Believe it or not, siding can blow off during a bad storm, and when it’s missing, it becomes the perfect place for water and moisture to accumulate in the walls. Not a good thing!

So obviously this isn’t a comprehensive checklist… But a starting point for your spring time home checkup.

Be safe if and when you’re up on a ladder, and if you’d feel more comfortable, give me a call to schedule a free, no-obligation analysis on any of the above items.

And Happy Spring!!

Whether your home is in Frederick, or Silver Spring, over to Columbia, Maryland, or any community in between, we can help!

To get your free, no-obligation spring checkup of your attic, roof, gutters,
siding, or windows, or to simply ask a question, call Kim at 301-368-3551

On Top Home Improvements, Inc.
10818 Avonlea Ridge Place
Damascus, MD 20872
Tel: 301-368-3551
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