Despite all the perks of owning an oceanside home, coastal homes are often exposed to harsh elements like salt water, morning moisture from the fog, sunlight, and strong winds. Erosion happens quickly if not maintained on a routine basis. If you do small touch-ups regularly before deterioration occurs, there will be less prep work involved, saving you both time and money. Here are our top three maintenance tips to help maintain your homes’ appearance and extend its longevity.
1. Metals Maintenance
Salt build-up is corrosive to metal, so you want to maintain the metal before rust occurs. Otherwise, the rust will need to be stripped or sanded off before cleaning/priming, which is more costly.
If you maintain the metal twice-a-year, you will only need to clean/prime, then apply a protector such as a lacquer or paint, which is less costly. We recommend twice-a-year preventative maintenance by a qualified professional. Security cages around air compressors should be maintained once per year.
2. Wood Maintenance
Wood is very vulnerable to moist climates, and unprotected wood will rot or develop mold very quickly. Decay can be an expensive repair if not treated regularly and appropriately.
For wood, services hose it with fresh water to remove sand, dirt, and salt twice a week then sweep off excess water. You may need to use a soft bristle brush to get into the crevices. Clean and seal your deck twice a year by a qualified professional to prevent the deck from being sanded or even replaced.
How to Maintain Teak or Wood Furniture
For teak or wood furniture, once a week, hose down with freshwater or wipe with a damp cloth and make sure to get in the crevices. We suggest applying Starbrite® Teak Cleaner and Brightener twice a month to protect and keep your furniture looking new.
Twice a year, go through the cleaning process then use a marine-grade teak sealer such as Semco® Teak Sealer. For this process we recommend hiring an experienced painter or wood refinisher. Do not cover your furniture if possible; moisture will form underneath and create mold and mildew.
3. Seal Open Cracks
We recommend conducting an annual inspection of the exterior of your home. Maintaining open cracks will not only keep out unwanted elements but also helps maintain temperature conditions inside your home.
Preventative maintenance, in turn, keeps your energy bills somewhat manageable. If you do small touch-ups regularly before deterioration happens, there will be less prep work involved, saving time and money.
Windows and Doors: Each time you look for open cracks, be sure to look for loose and decaying weather stripping or caulking around window and door frames. Use a durable-exterior elasticized caulking or silicone where cracks and gaps are evident. This will prevent costly repairs.
Roof: We recommend a reputable licensed roofing company to maintain the rooftop on an annual basis before the rainy season. Remove twigs, branches, or debris throughout the year. If left on the roof, they will cause damage and decay on the shingle. Also, trim back tree branches away from the house twice a year. The roofing company should check if any shingles are cracked or curled up on the edges and look for any loose nails. Check for mold or algae. Make sure all areas are waterproofed and sealed up. Replace caulking or mortar around a chimney, electrical boxes, and plumbing. Observe for frayed or cracking conduit that needs replacing.
Stucco Homes: We recommend sealing hairline cracks on your stucco walls annually to avoid mold and other damage. They can quickly and effectively be repaired using a latex and silicone caulking or sanded caulk for rougher stucco. If the crack is larger than a hairline and, in a pattern, or diagonal crack, we recommend hiring a painting professional with stucco experience. With stucco cracks, it’s best to tackle them as soon as you see them. If the area looks more complicated than you thought…call an expert.
Maintaining a home can be overwhelming and keeping a coastal Southern California home looking good can feel like a never-ending job.
How Custom Home Maintenance (CHM) Can Help
CHM will set up a tailored home maintenance plan to manage maintenance schedules, track repairs, and remodeling costs. Once we’ve established a plan, you can choose to manage your own home maintenance or work with CHM to manage it for you.
Give us a call today to find out more 310-237-3869 or email us at customhm@proton.me
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