When you have a historic home, an hour of examining, four times a year, prevents most five-figure surprises. Tackling small issues as they appear ensures they don’t grow into expensive projects you aren’t prepared for.
Grab your binoculars, walk the perimeter of your house, then check the attic and basement. Here is a checklist for how you should inspect your home and what you should be looking for each season.
To begin your seasonal maintenance, every spring you should inspect your roof for winter damage. Snow, ice, and varied weather conditions leave damage on your roof. Take a close look at your roof from the ground and from a ladder to look for slipped slates, cracked tiles, and lifted flashing.
After checking for damage, clean your gutters and flush downspouts. This prevents any build up of dirt or debris and gives your exterior a fresh look. Make sure when cleaning to direct any discharge away from the house’s foundation.
Next, probe all sills, porch posts, and column bases for soft wood. This ensures you find any hidden damage such as wood rot or water damage. Strong, healthy wood should not dent under pressure. If your tool sinks in while probing, the structural strength could be compromised and the wood will need to be repaired or replaced.
Inside your home, check the basement and crawl spaces for dampness. As the winter snow melts and the spring rains peak, small leaks can become bigger issues. Ensure your space is dry and protected before a small amount of moisture grows into a larger project for you to tackle.
Before summer heat sets in, make sure your home is ready to be a cool sanctuary. Service your AC or mini-splits so they’re ready to get to work when the time comes.
During dry weather, take the time to tackle exterior painting, glazing, and masonry repointing. This will give the outside of your home a fresh, clean look and prevent surface damage. Chipping paint, cracking glaze, and crumbling mortar impacts both appearance and functionality. Improving your home’s outer structural strength can also prevent future leaks or water damage.
Trimming trees around your house and removing any branches or vines from the roof, walls, or chimney is also crucial in the summer months. Overhanging trees can drop debris onto your roof, potentially damaging shingles and leaving you more to clean from the eaves and gutters. Vines left to grow can also damage your roof by cracking or lifting shingles.
To ensure a leak-proof roof and exterior, inspect all joints on trim, sills, and penetrations and re-caulk them when necessary. While exterior caulking can last for years, quality and climate can affect its deterioration, so it's important you catch any damage when it happens to avoid leaks.
Summer is also the best time to schedule any major roof or gutter restoration work. This is the season specialists book fastest, so make sure to schedule ahead of time to ensure the project can get done this year. For inspections, summer is ideal because it's easier to assess heat and humidity damage. In addition, if there are any Damaged pieces, water can enter and expand when frozen, completely cracking the slates or tiles, which is why it’s important to repair these small cracks before freezing temperatures hit.
Scheduling restoration projects ahead of time allows you to have the most cost-effective and efficient repair possible.
With the summer heat, make sure you are monitoring basement humidity. If necessary, run a dehumidifier to around 50-55% RH.
Fall means falling leaves and plenty of yard cleanup. Make sure to clean your gutters after the big leaf drop. If your yard is heavily treed, clean gutters twice to get all debris out. Verify all pitch and tight joints to prevent leakage.
Before any snow falls, do your second roof inspection of the year. Check for slipped slates, cracked tiles, and lifted flashing. Clear any debris in valleys or behind chimneys as well.
This is also the time to check that all of your heating is working properly. Service your boiler and furnace if necessary, bleed any radiators, and turn on the heat to test it before the first cold snap hits.
Impending chilly weather means it's about to be fireplace season. Before igniting the flame and taking your place by the hearth, make sure to do a proper chimney inspection. The inside of the chimney and surrounding area should be properly sealed and free from any debris. A build up of sticks and leaves can create a potential hazard, leading to damage and an unexpected restoration project.
Finally for fall, install storm windows. Windows are vulnerable points in a historical home, susceptible to breakage and drafts. Adding storm windows creates another layer of protection and insulation for when you’re inside braving the winter weather. Additionally, check existing weatherstripping on all doors and window sashes.
Once the cold air sets in, watch for ice dams and icicles at eaves. Ice dams are more common in historic homes and are caused by a lack of attic ventilation and insulation. Ice on a house’s exterior is not just a result of weather, it can be a sign of attic heat loss. This means warm air is escaping from your living space into the attic and exiting through the roof.
The best way to identify if ice dam removal is needed is through a property inspection by a reputable and experienced historic restoration contractor. Some exterior signs removal is necessary are:
Snow-free streaks can be caused by attic heat melting snow coverage unevenly. Additionally, after any heavy snows, check ceilings and attics for staining. This discoloration is a sign of a leak that needs to be repaired before the next storm hits.
Inside, keep the interior humidity moderate. This protects plaster and glazing from getting dried out and cracking or from being too moist and weakening.
On days without heavy snow, schedule a magellan building assessment, which includes photos that ensure you have an accurate record of your home's condition and can track any changes. This helps you document any damage to your property and streamline any insurance claims you file for repair work.
This is also the ideal time to plan all of your projects for the upcoming year. Specialists’ schedules can fill up quickly, so it's important to book early. If you wait too long to fix a small problem, the issue could become a larger, more costly fix. Regular home maintenance ensures a high-quality exterior to keep your interior protected.
When spring blooms again, it's time to restart the checklist and take care of any winter wear and tear. While observing your own home is important, an expert eye can spot all issues and recommend the best steps to protect your home and ensure historical accuracy and structural integrity is preserved. Renaissance’s skilled technicians have the knowledge, experience, and resources to identify problems, evaluate damage, and create detailed project proposals.
Regularly inspecting your historic home allows you to stay on top of all maintenance and potential repairs, ensuring a quality historic home that reflects the care you put in. Reach out to Renaissance today to book your roofing inspection.