Spring and Summer Maintenance for Your Structure
Keeping your structures well-kept is a great practice, for not only your overall property’s appearance, but also to prolong the structures life. When you start working outside planting flowers, trimming trees and cutting grass when the weather gets warmer, don’t forget about your structure. Between properly cleaning the structure, checking for general wear and tear, and inspecting the inside and outside of the structure, these practices will help you cover all the bases for keeping your shed, garage, outdoor retreat, or others in tip top shape.
Spring Cleaning
Cleaning your structure inside and out is the most important step in keeping a well-kept space and produce longevity. Starting on the inside of the structure, sweeping out debris will immediately help your structure look and feel much cleaner. Sweeping out a garage is great for protecting your tires, in case any leftover nails or wood from your latest project were left behind. In a shed, grass and debris from yard work could cause spots on your floor, making it difficult to remove without doing a deep clean. When cleaning out your structure, make sure there are no bags of soil sitting directly on the floor. If bagged soil gets wet and sits on your structures floor, this could cause rotting and a strong odor to form inside. Think about letting your soil completely dry before storing it in your structure or placing your bag in a bucket to prevent any leaking.
Looking at the outside of your structure, power washing can remove the unwanted and unattractive pollen, debris and build-up. Power washing not only helps your structures exterior appearance and prevents wear down from grime but can also make your structure look just as new as the day it was delivered. Be aware of plants close to your structure, as these could grow upwards on the sides of the structure. These tall grown plants can create moisture against the structures side and cause rotting and discoloration over a long period of time. Try to place small plants a good distance away from your structure to prevent this moisture from forming on your structure.
Check for Wear and Tear
Looking around your structure for general wear and tear is a great spring and summer habit since this gives you an opportunity to check if anything needs to be worked on before next season. Looking at the outside of your structure and noticing that your paint or stain isn’t as bright as it used to when it was first delivered, is a normal problem most people face. For stained exteriors, you can consider re-staining your structure if you wish that darker color was present again. Smart Side painted exteriors require limited maintenance and withstand longer than stain in the sun, but this still may need a fresh coat of paint depending on your color preference.
Checking the doors and windows in your structure, such as the hinges, locks and seals can keep your belongings safe and prevent rust from forming. Lubricating the hinges and locks can also provide a smoother opening and closing, preventing the screeching sound from your hinges. Hinges can wear down regardless of how much care you provide, so staying on top of lubricating them increase their longevity and smoothness. Ensure your door and window seals are tight and closing properly to increase safety and prevent the outdoor weather from coming inside.
Inspect the Inside and Outside
These maintenance practices are the most critical to keeping your structure in tip top shape. Inspecting your structures roof for shingle damage, and the inside ceiling can help you prevent any water intrusions and fix the problem as quickly as possible. While inspecting the roof, check your gutters to make sure they aren’t clogged with leaves or debris. Like water draining, check around your structure for any low ground spots or water collection, as this could show the need to reroute a drainage system. It is best for water to flow away from your structure to avoid rotting and severe damage underneath. Placing stones in those low areas to reroute the natural drain flow can help solve this problem.
Looking around your structure to make sure there are no unground holes, can help prevent critters from forming an unsafe home under your structure. They could chew away at the structure’s underneath, damaging the stability and even put themselves in harm’s way. Blocking off this possible entrance can help prevent unwanted visitors from coming in.
If you have experience with electrical maintenance, this could be a great skill to check your electrical system in your structure. Making sure all outlets work and nothing is covering them, all light switches work correctly, and all wire is in good shape – not fraying – are all great practices to have when maintaining your structures electric package.
We are proud to say we build our structures with the highest level of Amish craftsmanship, leaving you with a durable and beautiful structure. Even the most durable structures need some care, especially from the changing seasons and climate. Maintaining your structure keeps it looking as if you just bought if off the Stoltzfus Structures’ lot. If you have questions about the best maintenance practices for your specific style structure, contact us and our team will lend a helping hand.
Jada Morris
Recently graduated from college, I take advantage of having more free time and spend those moments catching up on my love of reading, brainstorming ideas for design projects, and spending time with my family, friends, and furry companions. I have two Golden Retrievers that are complete opposites, one who has enough energy to run three marathons a day if he could, and the other who would be happy to stay in bed all day! I might relate a bit more to the later but am always up for an adventure.
