What’s The #1 Area of Your Home You Should Inspect In Spring?

As we head into spring (well, before this week we were!) what is the number one area you should inspect in your home?

   Experts say check these areas because they take a beating during winter--especially from water

Here are the places to check, according to advice from experts compiled by Pemco Insurance.

6.   Foundation of Home.   Look around the base of the home, if you can inspect it--especially if you have a basement.  Tiny cracks here and there are usually normal, but long, spidery ones could indicate a developing issue. Also pay attention if any new cracks develop, especially in places where the walls and ceiling meet.

5.  Decks  If you have one, a good idea is to use a pressure washer on it, to remove any dirt or even growth. Just make sure the pressure is not so high it strips away actual wood.  If it's been a few years, consider resealing or restaining. Also, look for twisted or cupping boards--ones that look like a "u" and curve up on sides.

4.  Outdoor Faucets.  Most homes have the pipes leading to the outdoor faucet securely insulated, but often we find homes where the water right inside the faucet (inside the wall) might have frozen during the winter. If you turn on the faucet and nothing comes out or the flow is not normal, check to see if leaking inside the wall or underneath the home.

3. Wooden Siding.   Exposed wood takes a beating, but this is one that's best inspected and treated once temps are above 50 and it's dry and preferably sunny. These kinds of siding usually require more pressure washing (cleaning) and repainting or staining due to weather.

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2. Gutters and Downspouts.   Hopefully, you cleaned them in the fall and didn't leave a ton of leaves, dirt, and debris in them over the winter. overflowing gutters can spill water onto parts of the roof and sophets that you don't want water reaching. If you can, spring is a good time to install screens or other gutter protectors to keep them from filling up.

And the number one area you need to inspect? The Roof!  Just because it may look fine, that doesn't mean that you haven't lost some shingles or had some tiny leaks develop. Have the roof inspected to make sure you're not doing damage internally. Our winds can do a number on your shingles.

Once a leak gets inside where you can see a stain, it can potentially be ugly!