The happy community of Johnston, Rhode Island, is a lovely place to live, but the New England climate isn’t particularly kind to residential properties. Johnston homes experience many seasons of harsh conditions from freezing winter temperatures, humidity in the summer months, and during intense storms in the coastal areas, all of which erode exteriors over time. This leaves us with a long list of common exterior issues that can diminish curb appeal, home value and result in costly structural damage, if not addressed.
The good news is that most of the problems can be completely avoided by regular maintenance and early intervention. This guide will help Johnston homeowners navigate the most common exterior problems that may arise and some tips on avoiding them from turning into expensive fixes.
Damaged or Deteriorating Siding
Siding is in for a year-round beating by Johnston’s weather. Over time, vinyl, wood, fiber cement, or aluminum siding can become cracked, warped, discolored, and lifted away from the home from the effects of freeze-thaw, moisture and ultra-violet radiation.
Wavy sides of the siding are not just an eyesore. Moisture from the siding path can make its way through the wall cavity behind the siding, and cause damage to your wall cavity, wood rot and mold growth inside the wall cavity. The interior damage to the unit doesn’t manifest until long after damage is done and it would have been cheaper to repair initially in the siding!
The first step to prevention involves regular visual examinations once a year. Inspect your home for cracks, gaps or warped panels, walking around it during the spring & fall. Make sure to seal small holes as they are found. Siding annually to remove mold and mildew that shorten the life of the siding. In wood siding, every five to seven years it is imperative to repaint or repaint, reseal, or change the paint to prevent moisture taking hold.
Roof Damage From Ice Dams and Storm Debris
During the winter season Johnston residents are familiar not only with colder weather, but also with ice, snow and conditions conducive to ice dams. Ice dams are where heat escapes through the roof causing snow to melt and refreeze at the cool eave area. Ice battering then compels water to penetrate shingles and enter into the roof deck and drips to ceilings and walls.
Other storm seasons for Johnston include gutters that blow off, broken flashing and damaged shingles, in addition to damage that can be caused by ice dams. Any missing roofing material, no matter how small, can allow water to seep into the attic, resulting in mold and rot in the attic and on the ceilings in the interior of the building.
To avoid ice dams, make sure that your attic is insulated and ventilated. Some hot air can be vented more easily due to the melted snow, allowing it to melt more evenly and ice dams will be less likely to develop. Once winter storms have hit, check for broken or blown off roof tiles, and repair this quickly. A professional roof inspection service usually takes place once every 2-3 years, which allows them to evaluate problems before they become disasters.
Gutter Failures and Improper Drainage
Gutters are one of the most important and most neglected components of a home’s exterior. They are supposed to divert water and snow melt from the foundation so the ground isn’t soaked and the basement doesn’t flood, the foundation settles or the ground blows into the foundation walls.
Leaves fill gutters fast in the fall season in Johnston and ice in winter can damage gutters and cause them to pull off the fascia. Gutters that fail will allow water to run off the exterior walls and collect near the foundation. Eventually, the structural issues yielded more costly solutions that required a gutters’ clean or replaced.
Make sure gutters are cleaned every six months, in late fall and early spring. Check for leaking seams and down spouts, and make sure that all down spouts are located at least four to six feet away from the foundation. Immediately replace loose gutters before they pour onto your sidewalk, basement or roof.
Foundation Cracks and Moisture Intrusion
The freeze, thaw cycle is especially challenging for foundations in Johnston. Water infiltrates cracks of various sizes in concrete or masonry, freezes and then expanses the cracks under pressure. Repeatedly, over a number of seasons, small cracks start to grow, becoming structural issues that let water into basements and crawl spaces.
Excess moisture in the foundation can lead to mold growth, ruin stored items, and can degrade the integrity of a home’s foundation structure. Uncontrolled foundation damage can cause a huge job that can be avoided if remedied in the early stages.
Check your foundation each spring for cracks that may have appeared or new cracks. Fill any cracks between seals at the time of occurrence with epoxy or hydraulic cement. Make sure the ground plane slopes away from your foundation so that surface water flows away rather than seeping into your foundation. Ensure that vegetation and mulch are not in direct contact with foundation walls because they can hold moisture.
Peeling Exterior Paint and Wood Deterioration
The exterior paint on Johnston is subjected to harsh conditions of water, temperature fluctuations, and sun exposure. Paint that has passed its best use by dramatically peeling, bubbling, and cracking, exposing bare wood to the elements. When wood is exposed it will absorb water, bulge, rot out and bring in carpenter ants and termites.
Rot will progress rapidly on wood. The untreated fascia board or window sill will eventually leak water which will contribute to wall framing deterioration and interior spaces becoming damp. It’s no longer just a paint job, but rather a repair job for the structure.
Apply fresh paint to exterior surfaces made of wood every 5-7 years or as soon as paint starts to fail. Prior to repainting, check all wood for soft areas or rot, and repair any area that has been damaged. For utmost moisture resistance, prime bare wood thoroughly before putting on finish coats.
Driveway and Walkway Cracking
Concrete and asphalt surfaces in Johnston are subjected to frost heaving, high volumes of traffic, and deicing salts during the winter months. A water that is able to seep in, freeze and expand causes small cracks to get bigger every season. Any raised or cracked surfaces also pose tripping and safety issues for homeowners.
Seal concrete driveways once every 2-3 years to prevent freeze or thaw. Rapidly repair all cracks with the proper patching material. Refrain from using harsh chloride-based de-icers on concrete, which are likely to cause deterioration of the surface. Sealcoating asphalt driveways every 2-4 years helps keep them flexible and prevent erosion from moisture.
Window and Door Seal Failures
Window and door seals fail with the extremes of temperature faced by Johnston. Caulking may shrink and crack in cold weather, which causes draughts and moisture to get through between the frames. Foggy windows between the layers of glass in double pane windows are the result of failed seals which take the energy efficient windows insulating power away.
Drafty windows and doors add a great deal of heating and cooling expenses. Moisture buildup around frames can cause wood to rot, mold and cause damage to the interior of your home.
Prune all caulking around windows and doors every spring to check for gaps and cracks; add more caulking if needed. Inspect weather stripping around doors; replace weather stripping that is worn or no longer working. If windows are fogged and have a double pane glass, discuss any window replacement of glass or entire window with a window professional.
Conclusion
The exterior issues that Johnston, RI homeowners experience are very individual and specific to New England’s harsh climate. These issues, which are detailed in this guide — siding deterioration, damage to roofs, failures in gutters, cracking in foundations, peeling paint, cracking in driveways and window seal failures — all are common and all can be avoided if given proper attention and timely maintenance.
Taking care of the exterior of your home goes beyond aesthetics. It’s about holding on to the investment, keeping a home’s repair costs down, and making sure that it’s structurally sound all year long.
You can rest easy knowing that at Skyarc Property Solutions, we can help keep your home looking great whenever you have concerns about exterior maintenance, whether you are needing your roof and gutters cleaned, or your siding and painting needs professional help, we have you covered. We’re here to look at, repair, and prevent damage from so many fronts as possible to you and your home.
Call Skyarc Property Solutions today to have your exterior inspected and maintain the highest possible standard on your Johnston home all the time!