Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Preventative Home Maintenance Before Winter: Roof Cleaning & Tree Trimming

Before Roof Cleaning
After Roof Cleaning with
 Caretaker Services
Fall is the time to perform preventative maintenance on your home and yard. Think of it as putting things to bed before the winter. In a previous blog we spoke about the importance of cleaning your gutters, and cleaning and inspecting your roof is also a necessary task. The two can go hand in hand in some cases. If your roof is composed of asphalt shingles look to see if your gutters contain grains or pieces of the shingles. This is a sign that your shingles may need replacement. Flashings need to be checked, as water can easily leak in and around the flashing if they are damaged. Look for bent damaged or missing flashing. A roof with wood shingles should be inspected for dry rot. Inspecting a roof can be dangerous and should always be done by a professional, combining a roof inspecting and cleaning 2x a year on a regular service schedule is a good way to protect your investment in your house.
      Trees add beauty to landscaping but as beautiful and majestic a tree may be, if its not trimmed regularly, it can also be unsightly, taking away from your curb appeal instead of adding to it. Trees should be trimmed or pruned regularly to promote growth as well. Consider safety issues to avoid damage to your home or person.   Large tree limbs that have grown too close to your home can be dangerous in a storm and should be pruned back a safe distance. It’s recommended by the Dept of Agriculture to trim trees once a year in the dormant season.  For professional roof cleaning, contact Caretaker Services.

Caretaker Services: Why is Now A Good Time for Gutter Cleaning?

All homeowners know that maintenance is essential to protecting your home against a myriad of issues. Your home is usually a huge asset and the lack of proper maintenance will decrease the value of your home. Most people do the basic maintenance and forget about one very important area – the gutters. It is suggested to have the gutters cleaned twice a year in Myrtle Beach – Spring and Fall. If you live in an area with a lot of trees you may want to speak to your specialist at Caretaker Services about the need to clean the gutters more often. So why clean your gutters now? Leaves and twigs can build up inside the gutters and affect the run off. Coming into Myrtle Beach winter, which can bring more rain and possible snow, the gutters should be clear of debris so water has an easy egress.  The downside to not cleaning gutters can be expensive and cause damage to your home or roof. The weight of water added to the debris is like a sponge; the weight stresses the gutters and their brackets and can cause them to pull away from the wall. This is costly to repair, not even taking into account the possibility of broken windows or lights damaged when the gutters fall. Overflowing gutters can cause damage to your paint or siding. Often cracking foundations are traced back to overflowing gutters. Creating a service plan with Caretaker Services will take the worry and possibility of damage away. Some of the benefits of regular gutter cleaning include avoiding nesting areas for termites, birds and other insects, destruction of landscaping, and preventing water damage to your home. If gutters aren’t clear of debris, then they can’t do their job!  To find out about our affordable gutter cleaning services please call us for a free quote at (843) 602-0821.


Apartment and HOA Cleaning in Myrtle Beach: Improve the Curb Appeal of the Neighborhood by Cleaning Sidewalks

Often when we think about power washing it’s in relation to the walls of a house or a deck. Rarely do we thing about the sidewalks in front of our homes. You invest in landscaping, lighting, window cleaning and siding cleaning. Your roof and gutters are cleaned – your curb appeal should be excellent but then there are those unsightly sidewalks. Sometimes, we do not even realize how dirty the sidewalks are until they are clean!  Dirty sidewalks and lack of curb appeal can be an issue for neighbors, perspective home buyers, property values, and more.  Potential homebuyers
are not going to be attracted to a neighborhood or development with sidewalks that are unsightly. It raises the question of  "if the HOA isn’t taking care of the sidewalks, what else is not being maintained?" This is a simple fix - your Home Owners Association can hire a commercial pressure washing company, such as Caretakers Services. It’s important to contract with a company that has insurance and uses the correct chemicals, proper equipment, and the right amount of pressure, so as not to damage property. Cleaning sidewalks, driveways and stairs add to the curb appeal for others, but also add to your pride of ownership. Caretaker Services can work with your HOA’s regarding this and get back to them promptly with an estimate or a bid.