Answering common questions you might be asking at your house

You know you need to pay more attention to the state of your house, but you don’t always know what you should be looking for.

That’s not your fault, but it can still pose a problem. If you don’t know that something is a “warning sign,” then you wouldn’t think to call someone to seek guidance on the best way to resolve the issue.

In this post, we want to give you some simple examples of what a warning sign looks like for your home. These aren’t DEFCON-1 problems; they’re simple things that most homeowners will encounter at some point. We’ll describe the issue and provide some additional resources so you can understand what you’re actually looking at and how a professional cleaning can help you fix the issue.

#1: Does My Roof Have More than One Color?

You don’t need to climb the ladder to spot something wrong with your roof. You just happened to notice that there are spots on the top of your house that aren’t the color they’re supposed to be.

Here’s what’s probably happening. Some sort of growth is taking place on your roof. It might be algae or lichens. It might even be moss, which can put down roots on the surface of your roof. Even worse: all of these things can hold moisture, and that can damage your roof’s integrity.

How? Think about it like this: water will freeze at some point during the winter. That ice will damage your shingles, giving rain and maybe even animals a way into your home.

Want to Learn More?

We’ve written more about knowing when it’s time to clean your roof. Let’s talk about some other signs to keep an eye out for.

#2: Why Isn’t Windex Working?

You just finished cleaning your windows, but something still doesn’t seem quite right. Despite having used a large amount of Windex, sunlight still isn’t coming through your window into your living room like it used to. What’s going on?

What you might not know is, windows have pores so tiny they can’t be seen with the human eye. Those pores capture contaminants and dirt over time, and household cleaners like the one you’re probably using aren’t powerful enough to remove those things from the pores. (Cleaning that window multiple times also won’t clear out those pores.)

If your windows are still “foggy” after cleaning, then it’s probably time to get them professionally cleaned. We’ve been trained to use special chemicals and equipment that will remove the dirt from those pores and restore the proper shine to your windows.

Want to Learn More?

Clogged pores are a small sign that your windows need the type of help your household cleaners can’t provide. Let’s explore some other signs to look for that it’s time to clean your windows.

#3: Why Are There “Bumps” in My Sidewalk?

When you step outside, do parts of your sidewalk feel off? Or maybe your driveway or paved patio? By “off,” we mean that the surface doesn’t feel as even as it used to. And the fact that you can now notice it is a problem.

Plants or weeds could be growing underneath the surface of the concrete, and they’re actually damaging your walkway. Or, let’s say it’s wintertime and you just recently had a lot of rain. It’s possible water got underneath one of the stones and froze there, and that ice is damaging the stone.

It’s easy enough to clean out weeds; you can use a weed killer and then put polymeric sand in place to ensure they don’t come back. But, there are other warning signs we encourage you to be on the lookout for.

Want to Learn More?

We don’t have a blog post dedicated to this yet, but you’re welcome to give us a call if you’re starting to have concerns about your walkways. We can give you our best opinion and also describe what we’d do to resolve the problem.

#4: Why is My Neighbor’s House Prettier?

We’re not trying to be insulting, but be honest: does the outside of your neighbor’s home appear to be cleaner than yours?

This is an easy one: your house has accumulated enough dirt or contaminants over time that it’s finally affecting the look of your home. It’s not your fault. Your houses’ exterior is exposed to rain, wind, snow, dirt, algae, spider webs, animal droppings—essentially, anything that can be carried by the wind, dropped from a distance, or find a way to grow outside.

Thankfully, this is an easy problem to fix, and it’s one we’ve devoted our careers to helping people as you solve.

Want to Learn More?

This isn’t the only sign your home exterior might require a power washing. Here are some other things you should keep an eye out for.

#5: Your Gutters Look Like They’re Sagging. (Can Gutters Even Do That?)

You look up one day and notice that something doesn’t seem right with your gutters. You can’t tell, but it sure looks like that one part of your gutter is slumping a bit lower than the other sections.

If that’s what you’re seeing, then here’s what’s probably happening: debris has accumulated to the point where the weight is actually weighing down your gutters. It’d be one thing if you just had a few branches to remove, but now the structural integrity of your gutters is in danger.

That could lead to serious problems, not just for your gutters but also for your home. (If rainwater isn’t diverted properly, then it’s going to run down the side of your house and, if possible, find a hole into your home.)

Want to Learn More?

This is one warning sign that your gutters need to be cleaned. We’d like to share with you some other things to look out for.

Want to Learn More?

Our goal was to provide you with some ways to pay closer attention to your house, especially if you weren’t sure what you should be looking for. Do you have a question that we didn’t answer here or in another blog post? Give us a call. We’ll figure out what you’re seeing and explain how a professional cleaning can solve the problem facing your home.