A Year-Round Guide to Protecting Your Investment in South Farmingdale
Owning a home on Long Island is a labor of love. We enjoy beautiful summers and colorful autumns, but we also endure salt air, freezing nor’easters, and humid heat waves. This unique climate takes a heavy toll on your home’s exterior.
The secret to avoiding a $10,000 repair bill is finding the $100 problem before it grows. At Lee Home Improvement, we perform repairs every day that could have been prevented with a simple seasonal inspection.
We have compiled this comprehensive checklist specifically for Nassau County homeowners. Mark your calendars and take a walk around your property as the seasons change.
Recovery & Inspection
Winter is hard on houses. As the snow melts and the April showers begin, your primary goal is to check for water intrusion.
The Exterior Checklist:
- Inspect the Roof: Grab a pair of binoculars and look for shingles that are curled, cracked, or missing entirely from winter storms. Look closely at the metal flashing around your chimney—this is the #1 spot for leaks.
- Clean the Gutters: “April showers bring May flowers,” but only if the water can drain. Remove winter debris to prevent water from overflowing and damaging your foundation.
- Check Concrete: Freeze/thaw cycles cause driveways and walkways to crack. Seal small cracks now before weeds take root and widen them.
- Turn on Outside Water: Check your outdoor spigots for freeze damage. If you turn on the hose and water sprays out of the siding, you have a burst pipe inside the wall.
Preservation & Protection
The sun is just as damaging as the snow. UV rays break down paint, stain, and sealants. Summer is the perfect time for exterior projects because the materials cure properly in the warmth.
The Exterior Checklist:
- Inspect the Deck: Look for loose boards or protruding nails that could hurt bare feet. If your wood deck has turned gray, it needs a power wash and a new coat of stain to protect it from the sun.
- Check Window Caulk: Heat causes vinyl and wood to expand. Check the caulking around your windows and doors. If it is dried out or cracking, scrape it out and re-caulk to keep the AC inside.
- Trim the Greenery: Vines look pretty, but they destroy siding. Keep ivy, tree branches, and shrubs trimmed at least 12 inches away from your house to prevent moisture buildup and insect highways.
Winter Prep (The Most Critical Season)
This is “crunch time.” Whatever you don’t fix now will freeze later. Your goal is to seal the “envelope” of your home.
The Exterior Checklist:
- Clean Gutters (Again): This is mandatory. Once the leaves fall, your gutters will clog. If they freeze full of wet leaves in December, the weight can rip the gutters right off your house.
- Disconnect Hoses: Never leave a garden hose attached in winter. It traps water in the spigot, which will freeze and burst the pipe inside your basement.
- Check Weatherstripping: Can you see daylight around your front door? If so, you are paying to heat the neighborhood. Replace the rubber seals at the bottom of your doors.
- Service the Heating System: Turn your furnace on before the first freezing night to make sure it works.
Monitoring & Safety
During a Long Island winter, outdoor work is limited. Your job is to monitor the home for stress.
The Interior Checklist:
- Watch for Ice Dams: If you see massive icicles hanging from your gutters, your attic is losing heat. This causes snow to melt and refreeze, backing water up under your shingles.
- Check the Attic: Go up on a sunny day. If you see dark spots on the plywood decking, you have a ventilation issue.
- Test Smoke/CO Detectors: With windows closed and furnaces running, Carbon Monoxide risks are highest in winter.
When Maintenance Turns Into Repair
The purpose of this checklist is to find small problems. But sometimes, you find a big one—a rotted deck post, a missing patch of siding, or a roof leak.
That is where we come in. Don’t try to fix structural damage yourself. Call Lee Home Improvement at (516) [Insert Number]. We handle the repairs so you can enjoy the season.
Lee Home Improvement
Quality Craftsmanship for South Farmingdale & Nassau County
34 Paula DrSouth Farmingdale, NY 11735
(516) 984-9862
Looking for a quote? Visit our homepage at
LeeHomeImprovement.net