Hi all,
Here’s some info as a follow up to my segment on 8/19 Fox 6 Wakeup.
With winter fast approaching, (yes I’m sorry to say) Wisconsin homeowners will be considering all kinds of projects to ready the fort for winter. If this winter is anything like the last, you’ll certainly want to prepare. In my experience, there’s a few things that I put on, what I like to call, the late summer list. These projects are better done when the weather is warmer for both safety and success. One caution! If you feel uncomfortable with ladders, heights, or walking on roofs, CALL A PROFESSIONAL!
The List:
Roof and Flashings
- Nail pops in shingles. Walk your roof and look for raised areas on the edges of the shingles. If you discover some, gently lift the shingle and see if the nail hasn’t lifted up and caused this situation. If the nail is very loose, simply pull it out and apply some roofing cement (available in a caulking gun cartridge) in and around the hole and place the nail back in. If the nail is too tight to remove by hand, pound it back into place and apply the cement around and on top of the nail. Then apply some cement to the underside of the shingle and press it back into place.
- Loose shingles. Pretty much the same fix. Apply some roofing cement to the underside of the shingle and press back into place. You may have to place a weight like a brick or cinder block over the repair site to hold the shingle down while the cement dries.
- Loose flashings….(bad pipe flashing pic) repair advice follows
Chimney:
- Inspect flashing, masonry, cap. nail down loose flashings and seal with roofing cement.
- Sealing masonry. Water can find pathways into bricks and mortar that will freeze in cold temps. Sealing the masonry with a good sealer can reduce damage like spalling (shown above) and save you from an expensive tuck pointing job. Most sealers are simply applied with a brush like painting.
- Seal all masonry on the home. If you have a decorative stone veneer, stone pillar bottoms or any masonry, you may want to consider sealing it with a good masonry sealer. On caution, some sealers will add a sheen to the stone or may make the color change slightly. Apply the sealer in an inconspicuous area before painting the town.
Gutters:
- Clean out composted material. It’s much easier to flush out compost residue with your hose in nice weather. It’s no fun getting wet when it’s cold outside.
- You will have to clean the gutters again in fall but the leaves will be fluffy and easy to shop vac out. Placing a strainer in the downspout after you remove the compost so the new fluffy leaves don’t make their way into the downspouts. Remove the strainer after you clean the new leaves out of the gutter in fall.
Weather stripping
- Check your storm doors and entry doors at the bottom to make sure the sweep in in good shape. This is a wear point on the door and will have to be replaced periodically.
- Lubricate doors and windows for smooth winter operation. Simply rubbing a bar of parafin wax in tracks of windows or sticky door jambs will make operation easy and leave no residue that could cause havoc later if you try to paint or refinish surrounding areas.
If you have questions or comments please send me a response.
Thanks for visiting>>>
NK
aka”Nick the Construction Guru”