Monday, March 20th is the Spring Equinox — or the first day of spring — and it’s a good time to prepare your home for a potentially rainy couple of months.
It’s been a weird winter in Wisconsin with lots of heavy, wet snows or rain and major swings from warm to freezing temperatures. With snow often melting rapidly and what looks like a rainy end of March, it’s a good idea to look for signs of water damage around your home.
A good place to start is your gutters.
“Granules will wash off your roof, and with older shingles the gutters can fill up a little bit,” David Nason said on the WTMJ Fix-It Show. “Cleaning out your gutters is not just a fall job for some people.”
Make sure gutters are pitched at the correct angle so that water doesn’t drip down into your home or garage.
You should also check grating, drainage, downspouts and underground drains.
Take a walk around your home’s perimeter to scan for siding damage, loose window or storm screens and any detached trim you need to secure. If it’s warm enough you can do some caulking on any gaps, and even a little painting if night temperatures don’t dip below freezing. Some paints, especially oil-based ones, are formulated to withstand Wisconsin’s cold start to spring.
“Painting might be a little touch and go right now until we really get warmer, but some of the paints that are being made today can be used down to 32 degrees,” said Nason. “It’s really about if it’s getting cold at night.”
Whether your siding has stone, brick or wood, the main thing to keep in mind is directing water away from your home.