Seasonal Trim Inspection Checklist

To help you proactively monitor the condition of your home's exterior trim, consider these points during your seasonal checks:
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• Visual Scan: Walk around your home and visually inspect all trim areas, including window frames, door casings, fascia boards, and corner boards. Look for obvious cracks, peeling paint, or discoloration.
• Probe for Softness: Gently press or probe painted wood trim with a blunt tool (like a screwdriver handle). If the wood feels soft, spongy, or crumbles, it likely indicates rot due to moisture intrusion.
• Check for Gaps: Examine where the trim meets other materials (siding, brick, windows). Any gaps can allow water to penetrate. Pay attention to joints and corners where trim pieces meet.
• Look for Pest Evidence: Note any small holes, tunnels, or sawdust-like material (frass) near the trim, which could signal insect activity.
• Assess Paint Condition: Healthy paint protects the wood beneath. Extensive peeling, blistering, or flaking paint on trim could indicate trapped moisture or simply a need for repainting and resealing.

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Because exterior trim is so closely tied to the structural integrity of your walls and windows, the quality of the repair is essential. We recommend consulting a Qualified Professional to evaluate the extent of the damage. A professional can determine if a simple sanding and sealing will suffice, or if the underlying materials have been affected, requiring a more comprehensive replacement. Addressing these issues promptly ensures that your home remains weather-tight and protected against the elements.

​Monitoring your home’s exterior "small things"—like a single piece of damaged trim—is a cornerstone of responsible property care. By staying observant and prioritizing these repairs, you safeguard the long-term health and value of your home. Regular inspections and timely professional maintenance are the most effective ways to ensure your home remains a safe, dry, and secure sanctuary for your family.

With summer on it's way, it is important to pay attention to a component that is many times neglected - the gutter system. During our home inspections, we commonly find gutters that are clogged with debris causing water to accumulate. This increased weight often causes gutters to detach or fall off completely.

The job of a well designed and maintained gutter system is to collect the rainwater that falls onto the roof and then direct it to downspouts which carry the runoff away from the house. This keeps the foundation dry and safe from the effects of prolonged dampness and frost.

The main problem with gutters is that they collect other things than rainwater such as falling leaves. When leaves and other material gather and decay they can build up and impede the smooth flow of water through the gutter. In the worst cases, debris blocks the downspouts. The easy channels for water runoff now become dams. The water, instead of being guided safely away from the house, builds up and spills right over collecting next to the house where it seeps in and creates dampness at the foundation. In winter, water which has found its way into tiny cracks and pits in the foundation surfaces freezes and expands, making the cracks and pits bigger, stressing and shortening the life of the foundation and the house on top of it.

Keeping gutters clean is an often overlooked (or perhaps undesired) home maintenance job. It is a job that can be hired out or it may be a task a homeowner may do himself. It can be dirty, messy, and as there are usually ladders and heights involved.

Gutter guards are often sought as a way to reduce this maintenance. There are a few different types: