Maintaining the Home:
Home Exterior
Exterior Walls, Windows and Doors
Exterior walls, windows and doors
- Check bricks or blocks for cracked mortar or loose joints.
- Check siding for loose or missing pieces, lifting or warping, or any sign of mildew.
- Check painted surfaces for paint failure (peeling, chipping, blistering, chalking), water damage, or mildew.
- Examine all trim for tightness of fit, damage or decay.
- Check the condition of caulking where two different materials meet, such as where wood siding joins the foundation wall, at inside corners, and where window and door trim meets the siding.
- Check the windows for cracked or broken glass, loose putty around the glass panes, holes in screens and evidence of moisture between pane and storm windows.
- Check that windows and doors close properly. Examine all hardware on windows and doors, and lubricate moving parts.
- Check weather stripping on windows and doors for damage and tightness of fit.
- Make sure that all window and door locks work properly. Each exterior door should have a one-inch deadbolt lock for safety.
This material was adapted from publications produced by North Carolina State University Extension.
