Homes age just like people. They start to show signs of wear and tear and they begin to feel like old homes. They often give off signs that they are aging. So if you see things like paint peeling off, wood deforming and wrenching away from the nails, wallpaper puffing up or things like moss building up on the roof, then you need to be worried. Giving your home’s exterior a facelift can be very easy if you plan it right. There are a few things you can do to rectify the aging process of your home.
A fresh coat
The best thing you can do, if you don’t wish to do anything else for the exterior, is to repaint it. Speak with an exterior house painter who knows what to do. They will gently lift the old layer off, as well as the underside. This will need to be done patiently so as to not damage the bare wood underneath. It also has to be done in a timely fashion as rainfall can present a danger of the wood becoming damp. They will then paint on days where there is low humidity, such as 75 or 85. This is so the paint dries quickly and can be absorbed into the new underside. The coating will need to be done about 2-3 times.
Hosing it down
If the house is just a little dirty and dusty, then you can just use a pressure washer to clean off the siding, brick and or roof. You should use an exterior wash solution that blends vinegar and lemon juice and put it on first. This will be done with the same pressure washer you take it off with, so remember to rinse it before you use hot water to clean. Target areas where there is mildew first as it needs to absorb more there for the mildew to be removed. Then look for places where there is moss, perhaps weeds growing out the wide and or dirty places in crevices. It’s a good idea to allow about 2 coats of the solution before washing it off, separated by about 30-minutes so it can be absorbed.
Cleaning the tiles
Getting onto the roof is not always the best idea if you don’t like heights or you don’t have stable footing. Call in an expert who can clean the roof tiles for you if you want. If you’re good to go, you can use the same pressure washer you did for the siding, but you will need a higher solution. Put more vinegar into the mixture as tiles are tougher to clean than wood siding. Go over the roof with a screwdriver removing any hard bits like grit that are stuck between the tiles, moss that has grown, or perhaps twigs that are laying in the cracks.
When you give your home a facelift it will seem like it’s a totally different house. It’s a real labor of love which you should set aside a weekend for. Does your home’s exterior need a facelift? Plan to do it soon.
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