Maryland home maintenance

Inspections / Maintenance

Check your gutters and downspouts before Spring!

One of the most common problems we find when performing home inspections in the North-Central Maryland and Southern-Central Pennsylvania areas in and around Westminster is issues with the home's gutters and downspouts. This often overlooked part of the home is a CRITICAL system in controlling moisture intrusion into the structure, but many people underestimate the importance of a properly functioning gutter and downspout system. This article can help you understand more about the need for gutters and downspouts and gives you some tips for maintaining them. Spring will bring rain! Although recent snow and ice may have you still thinking…

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March 1, 2019
Maintenance

Do You Have Ice Dams?

Here in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area, we are in the height of the season for winter precipitation of all forms including snow, sleet, freezing rain, and ice. With the recent snow event that brought with it sleet and freezing rain on top of it all, you may want to check your roof to see if ice dams are forming. Ice dams can be bad news for your roof, your home, and potentially your health! What is an Ice Dam? An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and holds back melting snow from…

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February 12, 2019
Maintenance

Don’t forget to re-winterize your exterior hose bibs!

Here in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area, we occasionally are blessed during the Winter months with short periods of warmer weather like we have had this week. When this happens many of us often will get out our hoses to wash the road salt and filth off our cars and, in the process, reverse the winterization steps we (hopefully) took before freezing temperatures started setting into the region. If you did not winterize your exterior hose bibs in the Fall, perhaps you have been extremely lucky and have dodged a plumbing catastrophe so far! If you winterized properly, give yourself an "atta…

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February 6, 2019