Your home is where you go after a long day of hard work. It’s, therefore, important to ensure the space is comfortable and safe. Whether you have been living in the house for a while or the house is a new buy, your home’s exterior will always need some repairs. Consider the following exterior home repairs and the appropriate professional services.

1. Repairing Your AC

Your air conditioner plays a vital role in making your home comfortable; it helps regulate the house’s temperature regardless of the season. According to Terry’s Ac and Heating, conducting an exterior home repair for your ac at least twice a year is important. Doing this will help improve the air conditioner’s performance and increase energy efficiency. Common ac problems that will need repair include;

Ac isn’t working: When the motor of your ac stops working, it could be that you have a problem with your air filters, thermostat, or compressors, or your ac needs total replacement. Regardless of the problem, contacting your local ac company is important to help mitigate it before it escalates to an unrepairable problem.

Leaky Ac unit: This problem often occurs due to a faulty ac install. According to Kristen Cramer, repairing a leaky unit is expensive, with the average cost varying between $200 to $1,500. It’s therefore important to hire qualified ac contractors to do your ac installation.

Your ac is loud: If you can hear your ac working, it’s likely struggling to keep you warm or cool. Your ac may be making different noises, each representing a different problem. For example, a screeching sound indicates a faulty belt, and a rattling sound could represent an issue with the motor, fan, or compressors.

2. Fixing Your Roof

A roof is arguably one of the most important parts of a home. It’s the first point of contact with natural elements that could damage the home, such as snow, heavy rains, and strong winds. According to Norwest Roofing, roof maintenance and repair is an important exterior home repair service that should be scheduled at least once or twice every year, depending on the region’s climate. Some of the repairs to consider are:

Leaky roof: Leaks can cause irreparable damage to the roof when ignored for a long time. Therefore, you should contact professional roofers to inspect your roof for any damages that could cause leaks. Determining what could cause a leak on your roof is important since prevention is better than repair.

Shingle or tile replacement: Overexposure to the sun and other natural elements can cause irreparable damage to your roof over time. When this happens, you’ll need to scout for local roofing companies offering roof replacement as part of their maintenance services. According to Forbes Home, replacing your roof varies between $5,500 to $11,000, depending on your roofing material.

Gutter repair: The gutter is an often overlooked roof part. It helps to protect the home against water damage by collecting and draining rainwater away from the structure. Most issues with gutters occur due to neglect, such as when you fail to clean the gutters and remove leaves and other debris.

3. Extermination services

Pests such as termites, rodents, and some birds may cause damage to your home, necessitating exterior home repair needs. Keeping pests away will protect your home against damages such as broken shingles, holes, or wires. According to Ibis World, there are over 31,500 pest control businesses to choose from for pest control services. The different types of pest control services you may require in your home include;

Biological pest control: This service involves using other living organisms such as predators, parasites, and plant pathogens to control pests within your home. For example, cats have been used throughout history to help eliminate rodents and snakes in the home.

Chemical pest control: As the name suggests, this service involves chemical agents to eliminate pests. Chemical pest control is one of the most popular ways to eliminate pests. It’s particularly ideal for homes with severe pest infestation.

Electronic pests control: Electricity is a new technology extermination services use to eliminate pests. It uses ultrasonic and electromagnetic devices to repel pests and insects like mosquitoes.

4. Preventing Flooding

According to CBS News, 15 million homes in the United States are at risk of flooding. The effects of flooding in a home can be very damaging. That’s why ensuring you address all exterior home repair needs before the rainy season is important. Other than insuring your home against the risk of floods, the following repairs will help reduce the chances of floods occurring.

Landscaping: Landscaping your yard will contribute greatly to whether or not your property gets flooded. Consult and contract a landscaping professional to help dig trenches on your property. These trenches will help drain water from your home to a designated place, such as a storm drain.

Clearing your storm drains: A storm drain is a tunnel designed to carry rainfall runoff and melted snow down the drain. If your storm drains are blocked, clear away all debris clogging the drainage. Use a plunger to force the water down, or call a local plumber to clear the drains. If you ignore this problem, flood water may overflow your yard and house.

Crawl space waterproofing service: Problems associated with flooded crawl spaces include; mold, damp smell, pest infestation, high energy bills, and overall structural damage to the house. Waterproof your crawl spaces by installing thick plastics on the walls and floor of your crawl space.

5. Repairing Your Driveway

Due to its numerous benefits, asphalt is a popular paving material for residential and commercial driveways. However, you must contract maintenance services from an asphalt paving company to fully enjoy the benefits. Keeping up with maintenance and repair needs improves aesthetics and creates a more functional space. On the contrary, by failing to address repairs, the damaged driveway poses a safety threat to anyone walking on it as they could trip and get injured. Therefore, repair any damage on your driveway as part of your exterior home repair project. Some of the most common causes of driveway damages include;

Weather conditions: Constant exposure to the elements causes damage to your driveways. For example, water may settle on the driveway when it rains and seep through the cracks, resulting in potholes. These potholes could fill up with gravel and water, causing further damage to your driveway. To repair your driveway, you’ll need to do gravel dredging before adding a fresh coat of asphalt.

Tree root growth: Landscaping your yard with trees has several benefits. However, you must be mindful of where you plant these trees. When the trees are too close to the driveway, the roots may grow and expand beneath the driveway, causing fissures and cracks. Ensure you plant the trees in a location that allows the expansion of the roots without interfering with the driveway.

6. Cleaning Your Home and Yard

Cleaning is a maintenance service to prevent damages requiring you to contract exterior home repair services. Maintaining a clean home and yard can be challenging, especially if you have a full-time job. Luckily, you don’t have to burden yourself with tasks that may overwhelm you; you can hire professional cleaners with all the necessary equipment to ensure your home and yard receive a thorough cleaning. The benefits of maintaining a clean environment include;

Helps to prevent infections: Bacteria and germs causing infections and diseases thrive in dirty environments. Therefore, it’s important to not only clean but use the right cleaning agents to eliminate all infection-causing agents.

Helps to improve mental health: Environmental clutter equals mental clutter. It becomes more difficult to carry out normal daily activities when clutter lies around your house and yard. Decluttering your environment will help boost your mood, as you don’t have to worry about bumping into overflowing dustbins or clutter as you move around.

7. Checking Your Septic

Septic tanks are an important part of the home as they help to eliminate domestic wastewater. Schedule regular septic inspections as part of your exterior home repair and maintenance services. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you should have inspections from a certified sewer line company at least once every three years to ensure your sewer system is properly working. However, factors such as the number of people serviced by a tank, the tank’s age, and the water table’s level can require more than the recommended number of inspections. Some of the reasons your septic tank may fail to function properly include;

A failed drain field: A drain field eliminates wastewater from a septic tank. Saturated drain fields can cause sewage to flow back into the home and cause foul odors. Regular inspections will help to identify and mitigate such problems.

Clogged pipes: A pipe leading from the house to the tank may get clogged by flushing materials other than human waste and toilet paper or by the roots of plants blocking the pipes. When a clog happens, the drains are less efficient in draining. In some cases, they may stop functioning. Depending on the severity, this damage may not necessitate replacing the system.

8. Removing Unwanted Trees

The Plant a Billion Trees initiative aims to increase the forest cover by planting more trees. Trees are unarguably beneficial to any environment. However, there are a few alienated cases where trees can damage your home and environment.

Therefore, removing unwanted trees is an essential exterior home repair service to hire. Examples of damage caused by trees include plumbing damage and structural damage. The benefits of eliminating such hazardous trees include;

Helps to protect your healthy trees: Sometimes, your best option for saving your trees will be conducting a tree clean up by cutting down and removing any infected tree. If you need more clarification about the health of your trees, consider seeking advice from a qualified arborist who can give you the proper diagnosis and solution to your problem, if any.

Provides more space: Sometimes homeowners remove trees to create room for new additions to the home, like a swimming pool or a gazebo. Imagine having a tree in the middle of your identified space to construct a swimming pool. In such a case, you’ll have to remove the tree.

9. House Painting

House painting is an important exterior home repair service, especially for houses whose paint has started fading and peeling off. A fresh coat of paint will help to restore your house to its glory days. You must select quality paint that looks good and lasts long. Some benefits of giving your house a fresh new coat of paint include;

Helps to increase the value of your home: If you want to put your house up for sale, you want to ensure you get the best deal. A fresh coat of paint will give your house a clean look and attract more potential buyers. Therefore, painting your house is one way to improve your home’s appearance and value.

Protection from harsh weather: The exterior part of your house is constantly interacting with harsh weather conditions. If, for example, you have a wooden home, you may have noticed the wood has started to wear and tear. Although not 100% damage-proof, a new coat of paint creates a layer that prevents the house from getting into direct contact with these harsh weather conditions.

External home repairs aren’t part of the daily maintenance tasks you carry out around your home. Repairs address specific damage. You benefit greatly by having your house inspected for repair and maintenance services. Repairing and maintaining a home’s exterior can greatly enhance its curb appeal and increase its value.

A well-maintained home exterior can also help prevent costly repairs by promptly catching and addressing issues. Exterior home repair can also improve a home’s energy efficiency, lowering utility bills and reducing carbon footprint. Investing in external home repairs leaves you with a more comfortable, attractive, and valuable living space for years. Use this read as a guide for external home repairs for your project.