Homeowners often do not consider exterior home maintenance and cleaning a priority until the expense is unavoidable. There are always more important things to consider, it seems: newer furniture, interior home renovations, cosmetic lawn updates. However, as optional as something like a chimney cleaning may seem, here are five reasons why you should find out if you’re in need of some outdoor tender loving care today.
1. The National Fire Protection Association advises that homeowners should inspect and clean not only their chimneys but also their vents and fireplaces at least once a year. That number may be higher for people who smoke indoors or regularly use their fireplace systems.
2. Chimney fires cause $125 million in property damage each year. Are you prepared to replace your whole home because of neglect in chimney cleaning? There are an estimated 25,000 chimney fires every year in the United States, but that number could significantly drop if homeowners would actively monitor their fireplace systems for soot buildup, animal nests, or other things that need to be addressed. Save yourself a lot of heartbreak by keeping up with chimney repair.
3. Around 30% of all insurance premiums paid in America goes toward hail and wind damage. Don’t let inclement weather become a hassle for you as a homeowner. Vinyl siding and older roofs are particularly vulnerable to storm and wind damage. While vinyl can withstand winds over 100 mph, it will cosmetically reflect hail damage more than a brick masonry home would. Additionally, professional roofers advise homeowners that their roofs should be inspected at least twice annually; if you find yourself caught in a storm with a neglected roof, the damages could be extensive and costly.
4. Clean your gutters! A home with a healthy drainage and rainwater runoff system would have its gutters cleaned out at least twice every year. However, if your home is nestled in amongst some towering pines, you might want to double those cleanings; pine needles are notorious for clogging gutters and causing pesty drainage and flooding issues.
While you may be more inclined to make sure your lawns are a dazzling emerald green or that your hedges are trimmed into perfect right angles, it would be wise to address some of the less romantic aspects of home ownership—like digging pasty clumps of rain-soaked leaves out of your gutters or calling for an estimate on a deep chimney cleaning. Protect the building that protects you and the people you love—maintain your home’s systems before it’s too late.