Seattle is a special place. Sometimes people have a hard time understanding our unique culture, perspective, and even climate: but those of us on the inside know we’d never want to live anywhere else. The climate does present challenges to property owners, though. Take care of your home or business, from top to bottom, to enjoy life to the fullest in the Emerald City.
Look to the top
Seattle gets a bit of rain, there’sno denying that. This means that it’s important our roofs be in good condition, even as they take a pounding from the elements. Whether you have commercial roofing or a private home, here are some things to do regularly:
Check for leaks
Do a monthly inspection of your roof and ceiling, especially during the wettest times of year. Look for pooling water, dark spots that could indicate a leak, and condensation. If you keep an eye on things, you’ll notice small leaks before they get serious (and before mold has a chance to grow).
Keep up with maintenance
When your roof was installed, the manufacturer will have given you a roofing maintenance schedule. Don’t neglect this. It does cost money to have your roof inspected and cleaned regularly, but it will save you a lot in the end when you get the full life-span from your roof.
Check vents and eaves
Your water diversion system and the vents on your roof are liable to get filled with debris. Be sure to clean out the leaves, dirt, birds’ nests, and anything else you find at least twice a year. If you have any broken gutters, they need to be fixed ASAP.
Look to the bottom
The rain isn’t just hard on our roofs; It’s also hard on the ground and on the sewer and drainage systems. Here’s what to do to keep yours in good shape:
Have regular inspections
In some place, you can tell a sewer line problem from wet patches in the yard that never dry out, but here that’s going to be harder to notice. If you get regular inspections, you’ll know when you need the sewer line repair Seattle plumbers can provide.
Don’t overload pipes
If you have a garbage disposal, make sure you’re never putting anything down it that shouldn’t go there. Garbage disposals are hard on pipes. The other difficult thing is toilets: once again, nothing should ever go down them but toilet paper. Make sure everyone who uses your toilets is clear about that.
Check grates and drains outside
This is especially important if you notice water pooling around your driveway or in the street. The storm drains might be filling up, and if you don’t get them cleared out you could experience serious flooding. Flooding like that might even cause costly damage to your foundation.
Look to the seams
You have several ways that water and cold air can get into your home, and it’s crucial that you keep all these areas properly sealed.
Check windows and doors
The seals and seams around your windows and doors degrade over time. This lets water in, but it also lets in the cold air and can drive up your energy bills. Make sure you weatherproof windows and doors on a regular basis.
Check roof openings
If you have a chimney or anything else that pokes out from your roof, it should be sealed and weatherproofed all around. The best weatherproofing only lasts so long, however, and these seams become the weak spot in your roof. Get them checked and re-sealed as necessary to make sure your investment stays safe.
