HARRY CROWE E XT E RI OR MAI NT E NANCE I T S MORE T - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

HARRY CROWE

E XT E RI OR MAI NT E NANCE – I T ’ S MORE T HAN JUST DRI VE UP APPE AL ! By Ha rry Cro we

Curb a ppe a l is the inte re st fo r yo ur pro pe rty g e ne ra te d in pa sse rs-b y. Curb a ppe a l dic ta te s pric e ! T his is a c ritic a l e le me nt. T a ke a lo o k a t the sho c k fa c to r. Within 24-48 ho urs yo u c a n to ta lly c ha ng e the a ppe a ra nc e o f a pro pe rty.

Curb a ppe a l is o fte n a sso c ia te d with la ndsc a ping , a nd the ho me ’ s a ppe a ra nc e o n the e xte rio r. A ne a t a nd a ttra c tive a ppe a ra nc e is pro b a b ly the b e st a sse t fo r se lling o r re nting yo ur pro pe rty. While this se e ms like “c o mmo n se nse ”, a fla w in a ny o ne fa c to r c a n dra stic a lly re duc e inte re st in yo ur ho me .

1. One c he a p ta c tic to e nha nc e the o utside o f a ny ho me is to use a pre ssure wa she r o utside a ho me to re mo ve mo ld, milde w a nd g rime fro m drive s, de c ks a nd fe nc e s. I t is a g re a t he lp in a ho use ’ s a ppe a ra nc e . Mo ld is re mo ve d. F la king pa int is re mo ve d. T his fa irly c he a p e xe rc ise will pro mo te a c le a n a nd ne a t e xte rio r.

2. Re mo ve de a d b ra nc he s a nd b ra nc he s tha t a re sc ra ping o n the ro o f a nd de b ris fro m the ya rd. 3. T rim g ra ss a nd he dg e s b e fo re sho wing . 4. Pla nt so me sma ll c o lo rful flo we rs to a dd a nic e to uc h.

5. Re pa ir windo ws, do o rs a nd ite ms o n the o utside tha t g o to wa rd the g e ne ra l a ppe a ra nc e o f the ho use . F ro nt do o rs a re use d a s a sta te me nt. 6. Re pa ir a nd/ o r re pla c e ro tte n windo w trim a nd sills.

7. Re pla c e b ro ke n g la ss in windo ws. 8. Re pla c e to rn windo w sc re e ns. 9. Re mo ve ro tting o r da ma g e d wo o d whe ne ve r po ssib le . 10. Re pla c e missing a nd/ o r lo o se siding 11. Re pa ir a nd/ o r re pla c e ro tte n so ffit ma te ria l

12. Re pa ir o r re pla c e ro tte n fa sc ia b o a rds. 13. Re pa ir o r re pla c e ro tte n ro o fing in a re a s a s ne e de d. 14. I nsta ll e xte rio r ve nt sc re e ns a s ne e de d. 15. Sc ra pe , sa nd, c a ulk, prime a nd pa int siding a nd trim (two c o lo rs)

16. Re mo ve b a c k po rc h she d. Po rc he s a re no lo ng e r po pula r a nd mo st po rc he s a re me re ly a tta c hme nts to the fa ç a de o f the ho use . Mo st a re to o sma ll to b e o f pra c tic a l use . Unfo rtuna te ly, re no va tio ns o f po rc he s do no t ne c e ssa rily e nha nc e the ma rke t va lue o f ho me s. Ple a se b e c a re ful whe n spe nding in this a re a . Pe o ple typic a lly do no t pla c e a hig h va lue o n po rc he s o r sunro o ms. T he a ve ra g e re turn o n e ve ry do lla r inve ste d in a po rc h o r sunro o m is le ss tha n 10% pe rc e nt within 10 ye a rs.

17. F ix wo o d da ma g e to de c ks whe ne ve r po ssib le b y a dding wo o d a nd pa inting . (Avo id c o mple te re pla c e me nt o f de c ks whe ne ve r po ssib le ). 18. Che c k de c ks fo r te rmite inspe c tio n b e fo re b uying . 19. Co a t de c ks with a spra ye r whe ne ve r po ssib le .

20. Use b a g c e me nt to pa tc h sto ne de c ks, e xc e pt whe n spe c ific c o lo re d sto ne ma so nry is pre se nt 21. Yo u c a n re pa ir ha ndra ils, ste ps a nd de c k b o a rds tha t ha ve ho le s in the m b y g e tting b o ndo fro m a n a uto pa rts sto re . F ill the ho le a nd sa nd smo o th. 22. Whe n re pla c ing a nything tha t wa s pre vio usly pa inte d, ta ke a pie c e o f the o ld pa inte d wo o d to a pa int sto re a nd ha ve the c o lo r c o mpute r ma tc he d fo r a pe rfe c t un-no tic e a b le re pa ir.

23. Gutte rs a nd do wnspo uts a re o ne o f the mo st c o mmo n re pa irs. Orde r the g utte rs pre - pa inte d a s c lo se to yo ur ho use c o lo r a s yo u c a n. Yo u c a n g e t g utte rs ma de to le ng th using se a mle ss a luminum g utte rs a nd sa ve o ne third to hire the la b o r o nly.

24. Whe n a va nda l spra y pa ints o n yo ur g a ra g e do o r o r a ny me ta l surfa c e a nd yo u think, it is g o ing to c o st a b undle to c le a n it up, try using a c a n o f E a syo ff o ve n c le a ne r. Just spra y it o n the a re a a nd le t it sit fo r 5 minute s a nd the n wipe it o ff, it will c le a n it up.

25. A we e d Wa c ke r do e s a fa b ulo us jo b stripping the o ld lo o se pe e ling pa int o ff the c o nc re te pa tio , the n wa sh it with muria tic a c id wa it o ne da y, the n pa int it. 26. Whe n pa inting the e xte rio r o f the ho use , do it a c c o rding to the sun. Avo id pa inting dire c tly in b rig ht sunlig ht b e c a use the pa int drie s q uic kly. F o llo w the sun a ro und the ho use so yo u’ re no t pa inting in da rk sha de o r with the sunlig ht g la ring a t yo u.

27. T o re mo ve pa int fro m a luminum windo w fra me s, just use a lc o ho l a nd c o tto n swa b s. T his is fo r fre shly pa inte d o r o ld pa int le ft o n.

28. Whe n to re -ro o f. I nspe c t yo ur ro o f e a c h spring a nd fa ll to c he c k fo r sto rm da ma g e . I f yo u c a nno t c limb o n yo ur ro o f. Use a pa ir o f b ino c ula rs to ta ke a c lo se lo o k a t the e ntire ro o f struc ture . Re pla c e o r re pa ir a ny windb lo wn shing le s, a pply ro o f ma stic a ro und a ny c himne y o r ve nt fla shing a nd va lle ys, a nd c he c k in g utte rs a nd do wnspo uts fo r sig ns o f lo o se shing le g ra nule s. As a spha lt shing le s dry o ut, the c e ra mic g ra nule s will c o me lo o se a nd will wa sh do wn the ro o f de c k. A b uildup o f shing le g ra nule s, o r b rittle , b ro ke n o r c urle d up shing le s is a sure sig n tha t the ro o f is due fo r re pla c e me nt.

29. Ro o fing is a kind o f “o ut o f sig ht, o ut o f mind” ma te ria l, a nd ma ny pe o ple ig no re a ro o f a s lo ng a s it is no t le a king . T he re a re , ho we ve r, ste ps yo u c a n ta ke to e nsure tha t yo u g e t a ll the life yo ur ro o f wa s de sig ne d to de live r.

30. F irst, ke e p the ro o f de c k c le a n a nd dry. T his me a ns wa shing the ro o f o c c a sio na lly to re mo ve a ny twig s, le a ve s o r o the r de b ris fro m the jo ints o r ke ywa ys b e twe e n the shing le s. Wa te r tha t is tra ppe d o n a ro o f de c k e nc o ura g e s dirt to a c c umula te a nd milde w spo re s to g ro w. Use a ho se no zzle o r a pre ssure wa she r to c le a n the ro o f de c k. Co mpa nie s tha t do c le a ning will po we r wa sh the ro o f fo r yo u, if yo u c ho o se no t to do the wo rk yo urse lf.

31. T rim a ny tre e limb s tha t o ve rha ng yo ur ro o f. T his is ne c e ssa ry to a vo id da ma g e fro m wind-b lo wn limb s, a nd to le t sunshine re a c h the ro o fing . At the le a st, trim tre e limb s to thin the m so the sun c a n dry the ro o f. Ro o f shing le s tha t a re pe rpe tua lly sha de d de ve lo p mo ss a nd milde w tha t will ruin the a ppe a ra nc e o f the ro o f a nd sho rte n the life o f the shing le s.

32. Do no t c limb o r wa lk o n a ro o f whe n the we a the r is ve ry c o ld o r ve ry ho t. I n ho t we a the r, the a spha lt shing le s ma y so fte n to the e xte nt tha t yo u will a c tua lly re mo ve pa rt o f the a spha lt o n yo ur sho e s. Wa lking o n a a spha lt ro o f in c o ld we a the r ma y c ra c k shing le s tha t a re c o ld a nd b rittle . L e t ro o f wo rk wa it until the te mpe ra ture is b e twe e n 50 a nd 80 de g re e s F .

33. We a r rub b e r-so le d wo rk sho e s o r o ve r- the -a nkle b o o ts whe n c limb ing a nd wa lking o n ro o fs. T he rub b e r so le s pre ve nt da ma g e to ro o f shing le s a nd a re mo re slip-pro o f to a vo id fa lls.

34. Cle a n the g utte rs a nd do wnspo uts o n yo ur ho use twic e a ye a r a nd yo u’ ll b e spa re d unto ld e xpe nse a nd a g g ra va tio n in the future . T his ro utine ma inte na nc e is e a sy to do a nd re q uire s no thing b ut yo ur time . Sc he dule yo ur jo b in the spring a nd fa ll whe n a n a c c umula tio n o f le a ve s a nd de b ris c a n c lo g do wnspo uts a nd g utte rs a nd pre ve nt the flo w o f ra inwa te r a wa y fro m the ho use . I f yo u put o ff the jo b , it’ s a sure b e t yo u’ ll ha ve wa te r da ma g e d siding a nd trim.

35. Ca re fully po sitio n the la dde r a g a inst the ho use so yo u will a vo id re sting it dire c tly o n the fro nt e dg e o f the g utte r. T he dire c t we ig ht o f yo u a nd the la dde r c a n c rush o r se ve re ly b e nd the g utte r. One e a sy so lutio n to this pro b le m is to purc ha se a la dde r sta b ilize r whic h is a u sha pe d a luminum b a r tha t b o lts to the to p o f a la dde r a nd ho ld it a wa y fro m the ho use . I t a lso he lps pre ve nt the la dde r fro m twisting o r sliding .