7 Spring Exterior Maintenance Projects to Boost Curb Appeal and Protect Your Home

In Wisconsin, Spring weather is unpredictable and Summer seems to fly by all too quickly. There never seem to be enough good weather days for exterior home maintenance. So what projects should you prioritize?

These items should be on every homeowner’s list for exterior home maintenance, not only to spruce up your curb appeal, but more importantly, to weather seal and protect your home. 
  1. Spring cleaning isn’t just for the inside of your home. Get outside and clean up clutter and debris. Pressure-wash house siding, garage doors, driveways, sidewalks and decks to remove winter salt, dirt, mold and mildew that can leave permanent stains. If you don’t own a power washer or have experience using one, you may want to hire a professional to avoid damaging surfaces you’re trying to clean. Inspect wood and vinyl surfaces for cracks, holes and other damage. These should be repaired or replaced before any new paint or stain is applied. Clean your gutters if needed and inspect for damage.
  2. Make your windows shine. Clean windows inside and out to make them sparkle and let in more light. It’s also a good time to inspect exterior window trim for damage, cracked or peeling paint, and damaged or missing caulking that could let in drafts or moisture. All of these should be addressed before staining or painting exterior window trim. 
  3. Create a more welcoming front porch or main entry. A fresh paint color on your front door boosts curb appeal more than you think. A bright, welcoming color will stand out even from the street. If you’re considering DIY on this project, make sure you know how to correctly prep, prime and paint an exterior door. It’s harder than it looks to keep everything perfectly smooth and neat with good paint coverage, so consider hiring a professional painter if you’re a novice. Add a final bit of polish by replacing worn or dated-looking hardware with a new, matching doorknob, knocker, and house numbers.
  4. Exterior house painting is high impact for curb appeal but not a good DIY project. The paint color on a house is the first thing people notice, so keeping the siding and trim clean and neat is critical for curb appeal. The right house paint colors can highlight architectural details and help downplay features you don’t want people to notice. Painting a house is a huge project that requires skill and experience, so DIY exterior house painting isn’t recommended. A good professional painter has the right equipment and materials, and knows how to meticulously prep before painting to make the paint job last - scraping to remove loose paint, filling holes, repairing or replacing damaged or rotted wood, sanding, cleaning, applying caulking to weather seal, and applying professional grade exterior primer and finish coat.
  5. Don’t forget the garage door. If your garage faces the front of your house it’s probably the biggest single area visible from the street. Power wash if needed, check for dings or other damage, and look for gaps in weather stripping. Wood, metal (steel and aluminum), and vinyl garage doors can all be painted for a fresh new look. The color will not last as long as an original factory finish, but it’s typically much less expensive than replacing the door, and will provide additional weather protection.
  6. Give your deck some attention so it’s ready for relaxing or entertaining. Wood decks need regular maintenance to keep them looking great, particularly moisture sealing. Long term moisture exposure will quickly rot unprotected wood. Composite decks don’t require sealing but still need cleaning to banish winter grunge, and most brands don’t contain a mold inhibitor. In addition to causing ugly discoloration, mildew or mold growing on a deck creates slippery spots that are a slip hazard. Annual maintenance on a deck it’s an unreasonable DIY job but a professional painter can power wash, sand, prep and reseal or repaint a deck in a fraction of the time it takes most homeowners.
  7. Tidy up landscaping to give your home a well-kept look. Start by trimming overgrown trees and shrubs, mowing and cleaning debris out of planting beds. Give your siding a little breathing room all the way around your house - trimming shrubs a foot or more away from the side of your home helps prevent damage to siding and water intrusion. Brighten up your landscaping with new flower plantings. Annuals are less expensive and provide instant color, whereas perennials cost a little more but come back every year. Finish planters with a few inches of fresh mulch to create a manicured look and slow down weeds.

By keeping up with exterior home maintenance, you're protecting what is probably your largest single investment, and helping to prevent expensive repairs from home weatherization issues, like water damage or dry rot. The “weather window” in Wisconsin for exterior home maintenance is typically late Spring through early Fall, so don’t procrastinate. Good painting contractors fill their exterior painting schedules quickly, so call for an estimate as early as possible.

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