Top Home Exterior DIY Projects Do’s and Don’ts

Home exterior - top DIY Do's and Don'ts

At Renovations Roofing & Remodeling, Inc., we pride ourselves in offering and providing quality home exterior services. With over 20 years of experience, our continued goal is to be number one in service and customer satisfaction.

Our services range from shingles to a whole new roofline; from new windows and new siding, to wood decks, masonry services and repairs. 

That is why we say there are some things you can confidently learn to do yourself as a homeowner. There are also things you shouldn’t try on your own.

Read on to see our list of top home exterior DIY do’s and don’ts.

Home Exterior – Do It Yourself

Maintaining Your Wood Deck

Having a deck is a perk. The summer months don’t feel complete without an outdoor meal every once-in-awhile. A deck makes an excellent place to store your grill.

However, a wood deck is a perk that comes with maintenance. Wood decks need plenty of maintenance over the years. They are prone to:

  • Warping,
  • Squeaking,
  • Railings that get loose and wobbly,
  • Boards that deteriorate,
  • Screws that go missing,
  • And a finish that needs to be replaced every few years.

Fortunately, these fixes are within the skill of an average homeowner.

Maintaining Your Doors

Replacing, fixing or repainting a dated or broken front door is something you can do yourself. Your front door can lose its weatherstripping, sag, stick or become faded over time, and refreshing it is one of the best ways to update the look of your house.

Most homeowners should be able to hang a new door with a partner easily, replace the weatherstripping for drafts, or replace the hardware.

Adding a coat of paint in a bright color is within the skill level of almost anyone.

Landscaping

From planting a window box or arranging a planter to moving big loads of soil, mulch or landscaping stone, most landscaping is grunt work.

If you have a good eye and a sense of what makes a garden look balanced, you can save big money by doing this exterior job yourself.

Cleaning Gutters

Not only can you clean your gutters yourself, but you should also clean them twice a year.

Once in the spring and once in the fall is the cleaning schedule you need to stick to. Cleaning gutters makes sure your roof doesn’t suffer.

Make sure to lean your ladder against your house and not the gutters themselves. Use your hands or a hose attachment made for the job and remove the accumulated debris. Use the hose to check for blocked downspouts.

If you suspect a blockage, remove that section and clear it out before reattaching. Now is an excellent time to have any parts of gutter or downspout that have come disjoined or loose from your house repaired.

Pro Tip: If you are unsure how to repair your gutters or downspouts, call a professional.

Washing the Exterior of Your Home

Wood, vinyl, brick, stone, and composite siding materials can all benefit from a power wash in the spring.

Make sure you follow instructions for your power washer and be careful not to remove paint unless you’re planning to repaint your house.

Pro Tip: Never power wash your roof.

What to Leave to the Pros

Masonry Repairs

Unless you know what you’re doing, and I mean really know what you’re doing, you could do irreversible damage to your bricks by attempting to repoint your masonry yourself.

This is especially true if you have an old house. If your chimney or other exterior masonry needs repair, it’s best to call in the pros. You may not enjoy the expense, but it is best to have it done right.

Replacing Siding

Replacing your siding isn’t advised for the average homeowner.

For the professionals, it may take several weeks working full-time depending on the size of the house. It would take you a lot longer.

It’s not a task for a beginner DIYer either. It may look easy enough to slap siding on an exterior wall. However, the hard parts come when you have to fit those siding panels around your house’s soffits and fascia and make it all look effortless.

The last thing you want is a home exterior that looks like an amateur did it.

Roofing

As we always recommend, it’s not safe for homeowners to get up on their roofs. However, this isn’t the only reason we would say to leave the roofing to us.

Much like applying siding, applying a new roof requires special tools, skill, and a whole crew to get it done in a timely fashion. It also takes an experienced eye to catch any problems before they arise and to install everything correctly so as not to void the product warranties.

Bringing it Home

There are a number of home exterior projects you can do yourself and be proud about how well they turned out.

A few of these – like masonry, siding, windows, and roofing are better left to professionals. It will ensure that you do no damage to your home and that it looks great when it’s finished!

Do you live in Southeast Michigan and need a professional? Please give us a call. We are here whenever you need us!

Call today

 

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