Homeowner Maintenance Manual

C E N T U R Y C OMM U N I T I E S H OM E OWN E R M A N UA L

Exterior Regular attention will preserve the appearance and value of your home. Check the painted and stained surfaces of your home’s exterior annually. Repaint before much chipping or wearing away of the original finish occurs; this will save the cost of extensive surface preparation. Touch up the exterior painted surfaces of your home approximately every two to three years or as often as your paint manufacturer suggests for your area and climate. Climatic conditions impact the paint used on the exterior. Over time, this finish will fade and dull a bit. Depending on the exposure to weather of each surface, the paint on some parts of your home may begin to show signs of deterioration sooner than others. When you repaint the exterior of your home, begin by resetting popped nails and removing blistered or peeling portions of paint with a wire brush or putty knife. Sand, spot with primer, and then paint the entire area. Severe Weather Hail and wind can cause a great deal of damage in a severe storm. Promptly inspect and report damage caused by severe weather to your insurance company. Stain For minor interior stain touch-ups, a furniture polish and stain treatment is inexpensive, easy to use, and will blend in with the wood grain. Follow directions on the bottle. Touch-Up When doing paint touch-ups, use a roller, applying paint only to the damaged spot. Touch-up may not match the surrounding area exactly, even if the same paint mix is used. Wall Cracks We suggest that you wait until after the first heating season to repair drywall cracks or other separations due to shrinkage. See also “Drywall” on page 4.9. TIP: Avoid having sprinklers spray water on the exterior components of your home. This will cause blistering, peeling, splintering, and other damage to the home.

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PESTS AND WI LDL IFE Homeowner Care and Maintenance

Insects such as ants, spiders, wasps, bees and animal life such as woodpeckers, squirrels, mice and snakes, may fail to recognize that your home belongs to you. Addressing concerns involving these pests and wildlife goes with being a homeowner. Informational resources include among others, the state wildlife service, animal control authorities, the county extension service, pest control professionals, Internet and public library.

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C E N T U R Y C OMM U N I T I E S