Brandon Nelson

Storm Season is HERE! (So storm-ready your house!)

Storm season in Bellingham officially begins– by storm paddling standards — when winds on Bellingham bay top 40 knots. Well on this Labor Day weekend we got just that! So aside from some killer surf sessions, it also means it’s time to talk about storm-readying your house.

Your home’s exterior cladding – i.e. roofing, siding, windows, doors, AND the caulk and flashing that seal them – require annual attention to ensure the stormy weather stays outside where it belongs.

Use the following checklist to make sure your home base is buttoned up tight and ready for anything:

• Caulk any gaps where siding meets trim, pipes or wires penetrate, or you can otherwise imagine water getting past the outer “shell” of your home. If old caulk is cracked, remove it first.
• Make sure your siding and trim are lapped from above by more siding or flashing…EVERYWHERE.  All horizontal breaks in the cladding are potential water entry points. If necessary, have them flashed or at least caulked.
• Limb those dead or too-close branches from overhanging trees.
• Clean the roof and gutters of all moss and debris… and be prepared to re-clean the gutters as they take on more leaves and pine needles.
• Check your crawl space or basement for moisture intrusion. If it’s wet, something’s amiss with your drainage and it needs repair.
• Remove garden hoses from exterior hose-bibbs and put an insulating cover on the bibb to prevent freezing.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 7th, 2009 at 5:01 am and is filed under Home Projects & Upkeep. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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