Annual home maintenance tasks

In the last feature we looked at home maintenance starting at the top of your home: Checking for damage on the ridge caps, inspecting a tiled, IBR or flat roof, and taking a closer look at gutters and downspouts.

 

In this feature we move on down the ladder and discuss how to maintain timber and steel window and door frames.

Moving down the ladder

We started at the top for our annual home maintenance inspection, as there's no better place to start when thinking about what needs to be fixed in and around the home. But before we get down to the bottom of the ladder there are a few things that we can check on the way.

BALCONIES

If you live in a double-storey home, or have an apartment above or below, you may also have a balcony. Many tend to forget that these need annual inspection. Railings should be inspected for any signs of rust and treated accordingly. Rust-Oleum have a range of Stops Rust products that neutralise and strip rust to prepare it for repainting. And repainting railings or balustrades is as easy as visiting your local Builders Warehouse to check out the range of Rust-Oleum products.

Check that grout on a tiled balcony is in good condition. Where grout has failed you will have water seepage through the floor, not only eventually causing damage to the floor, but also water damage underneath. Patch up damaged grout with new and apply a sealer over the grout. Also be sure to check around the outside edges of tiles to ensure that a waterproof seal sits around the tiles.

WOODEN WINDOW AND DOOR FRAMES

Many homeowners are under the misconception that a coat of sealer or varnish is all that's needed on wood. That's probably why a lot of homes sit with window frames and doors that soak up moisture and swell, warp, or show signs of rot. Applying sealer is an annual project that is essential if you want to timber window frames and doors to look beautiful and be protected against the elements.

Annual maintenance is not that difficult if you use the right product from the start. When using Woodoc Sealer, all that is required is to wipe down timber window frames and doors with Woodoc steelwool and mineral turpentine, before applying new sealer to beautify and protect.

And contrary to popular belief, varnishing your wooden window frames and doors won't save you time. As timber expands and contracts, varnish will crack and peel, allowing moisture ingress which can eventually result in wood that goes black because it is infected with rot.

Save yourself time and money by regularly maintaining your timber window frames and doors with Woodoc exterior sealers.

STEEL WINDOW FRAMES

When left unprotected, steel will start to rust. Even where a small area of paint has flaked off, if water and oxygen have access to steel rust will occur. This is even more so at the coast, where salt speeds up the rust process.

Annual inspection and touch up of painted steel window frames, or steel burglar bars, gates, railings and pallisade fencing will not only protect against rust, it will also extend the life of your paint job and reduce the amount of work you need to spend on sanding down and repainting.

Don't put that ladder away just yet. If you have exterior structures and buildings these still need to be checked. Pergolas, Garden Sheds and Huts and your Garage should also be inspected at least once a year.

Set aside one day each year, just before the end of winter, to walk around and inspect the exterior of your home from top to bottom.