Spring Home Inspection Checklist
While it’s always important to inspect your home’s exterior for damages after a storm or severe weather event, Canadian winters and spring thaws can reveal some conditions that, if not attended to, can lead to costly repairs later on. Hamblet’s has created a brief 5-point checklist to breeze through once winter has its way. Pick a dry sunny day to inspect your exterior and look closely for the following as you do a top-down inspection of your home.
1. Roofing - Don’t forget this includes all roof penetrations such as vents, stacks, skylights and chimneys. Look for: torn or missing shingles, degraded or dry/cracked sealant around penetrations and flashings. If you have a drone or a zoom camera many details can be inspected from the ground. (note: climbing around your roof is not recommended without proper safety gear and is always best left to the professionals)
2. Soffit / Fascia / Eaves - If your eaves or gutters are not guarded, occasional cleaning may be required to ensure good drainage. Over time, you may develop leaks at your eavestrough. While ends, corners, and seams may sometimes be re-sealed, many times this proves ineffective and replacement may be in order. Look for missing wall flashings and loose fascia metal. Winds can sometimes tear them clear from your home leaving room for potential water penetration.
3. Siding - While it may seem that siding issues are very self evident (ie: missing panels), there can be some hidden issues that require closer examination. Siding is installed to accommodate temperature fluctuations that will expand and contract the product. Make sure to check that panels are locked and securely fastened to prevent future blow-offs. Old vinyl can become brittle and may need replacing once cracks and breaks occur.
4. Doors & Windows - Beyond checking for any cracks or breaks in the glass (which you should absolutely do), it’s good practice to ensure that capping and sealant is in good order as well as looking for any tears in screens and plugged drain holes.
5. Foundation & Drainage - Most foundation issues will make themselves known by a small trickle of water coming into your basement or wetting your foundation walls. Most waterproofing companies can provide solutions at this stage however ensuring that all drainage is directed away from your home’s foundation is always a good idea. Make sure all downspout diverters are free of debris and directed away from your home.
When in doubt, or if you see a potential problem arising call a professional to assess the water shedding systems and exterior components and make sure the nasty weather stays on the outside!