Paying to repair or replace large ticket home essentials such as decks, windows and sunrooms can be extremely costly. So why not just maintain them? Keeping your home maintained is the key to getting the most out of your money and the longest amount of time out of your purchase. Now that summer is here and the outdoor entertaining has begun, you obviously want the best looking house on the street. So here are some maintenance tips to help you out.

Decks

- If you own a wooden deck and it isn’t stained or treated yet; do it! What are you waiting for?Stains are available in a myriad of colors and transparency levels, so you can choose the color and finish that best complements your tastes and backyard decor. This is the first step to your decks long, healthy life.

- Clean your deck with a basic soap solution (if vinyl) or simply a hose-down with water if wooden. This should be done about twice a year.

- Before staining, make sure there are no wooden or vinyl pieces that need to be replaced or repaired. There is no sense in staining wood or panels that will be removed after.

- Look for loose nails or screws that can begin to erode themselves.

- Pull and push on your railings or banisters to make sure they are stable. They should have no movement.

- A quick sweep always works to rid the deck of leaves, dirt, bugs or debree.

Windows

- You’ll obviously want to start with making sure there are no cracks in the glass. Cracks do grow over time, so you’ll want to get those specific windows replaced immediately.

- You’ll then want to make sure there has been no crack in the seal surrounding the outer rim of the window.

- Check the air tightness as well. A simple way to do this is pick a windy day and hold a lighter near the seal. If the flame flickers or gets blown out, you may have air leaking in or out.

- You’ll want to clean the actual glass about once every two weeks with paper towels and any form of glass cleaner.

- Using white shades or curtains also reflects heat away from the house, which can help in these next few steamy summer months.

Sunrooms

- You’ll want to inspect all the windows of the room, looking for any possible cracks or scratches.

- Check the seal of each and every panel with the same lighter trick you would use for your windows to make sure no air is escaping.

- You’ll want to make sure all the glass panels are properly caulked as well, making sure no pieces are falling off or missing.

- If your finding your sunroom is getting too hot in the summer, you may want to replace the windows with something like Low-E glass, to help reduce the heat.

- Lastly, cleaning the window panels with any form of glass cleaner will always leave for a shiny, clear finish.

For more information on the decks, windows or sunrooms that Allied Remodeling can offer you today, please visit our website at www.alliedremodeling.com!