Summer and warm weather have finally arrived after we have all endured what seemed like one of the longest and coldest winters around our area in quite a few years. We know it was cold this past winter with ice on the Great Lakes weeks after Memorial Day.

It’s time to make sure your house is ready to go through next winter. Materials used on houses built today are mostly maintenance-free from having to paint on the exterior. Vinyl siding, windows, decking, exterior rails, columns, accent louvers, and even the opening of the overhead garage doors can be trimmed in a vinyl material to eliminate exterior painting. There can be painting if a desired color is preferred but for the most part this material doesn’t require a lot of effort to maintain.

We offer a wide selection of ThermaTru Doors which are typically steel or fiberglass requiring painting or staining. The door jamb and frame is made with wood and requires some upkeep to ensure they operate correctly and do not begin to rot out. Painting should be done on a regular basis especially near the bottom of the jamb where it meets the sill. This is the area that gets the brunt of the weather with rain or snow that piles up. Use a good quality exterior paint and be sure to caulk gaps with a paintable caulk where water can work its way through and cause other unseen problems that may be more involved to repair.

With all of the building materials used today to make a house easier to maintain, there are a few areas to maintain that will ensure your house will last for many years and provide that important first impression as guests arrive.