You built your sunroom, screened porch, deck, or outdoor living space to enjoy it, not as another job to pull you away from weekend time with your family. The whole point of building it was to spend time relaxing, entertaining, watching the big game, and enjoying some peaceful time in the quiet of nature.
If you spend all of your spare time maintaining your outdoor living space, that defeats the whole purpose of investing in one to begin with.
But low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance.
Like any part of your home, sunrooms, screened porches, patio covers, retractable screens, and other outdoor living products have to fight things like debris, pollen, and other outdoor elements that can ruin their shine.
A little preventative maintenance can help to keep everything operating properly and, more importantly, identify small issues before they have the opportunity to become major ones. That’s why Express Sunrooms of the Carolinas offers annual maintenance options designed to help protect your investment. An ounce of prevention can save you countless hours of labor in the long run.
Why Does Your Sunroom or Screened Porch Need Maintenance?
When something is built to last, it’s alluring to pretend that you don’t need to think about it again. Unfortunately, Mother Nature does her best to test whether it will or not.
There are a ton of insults that will age your sunroom regardless of materials or options. Rain will wear at seals and flashing. Wind can loosen or damage screens. Pollen and debris can collect on the tracks.
Once more, doors and rollers can need adjustment. Caulking and weather seals can deteriorate over time. Gutters and downspouts can become clogged, and small changes to windows, hardware, and other components can occur gradually if not monitored.
None of these things necessarily means there is anything wrong with your sunroom or porch. They’re simply part of owning something that lives outside. The key is catching routine maintenance needs before they turn into expensive repair needs.
Preventive Maintenance Can Save You Money
There is a big difference between maintenance and repair. A loose piece of hardware might take just a minute to adjust if you are paying attention. If you ignore it, however, it can affect other components.
A small area of deteriorating sealant might be relatively simple to fix, especially when it is noticed through inspection. A water intrusion problem that goes unnoticed is an entirely different situation. A screen that begins to pull away is easier to address than a tear.
Preventive maintenance is about finding the little imperfections before they become major flaws and become expensive. Just like changing the oil in your car or maintaining your HVAC system, your outdoor living spaces are an investment and worth putting the energy into to make them last.
Your Screens Need Attention Too
Screens look simple, but they do some complex things. Throughout the year, sunrooms have to contend with to rain, wind, pets, branches, debris, pollen, and changing temperatures. Over time, screens can develop small tears, or the spline that holds them in place can begin to loosen.
Small problems are much easier to address than replacing parts and pieces that are broken or damaged due to neglect. Periodic inspections can identify tears, loose spline, damaged areas, and other issues before they become unsightly and noticeable.
After all, the purpose of the screens is to keep insects and pollen out. If they aren’t screening, then that defeats the whole purpose.
Don’t Forget About Doors, Tracks, Rollers, and Hinges
How many times do you open and close the door to your sunroom or screened porch throughout the year?
Probably more than you realize.
Doors, tracks, rollers, hinges, and other moving components experience normal wear with use. Dirt, pollen, pet hair, leaves, and other debris can also accumulate on the tracks. Cleaning tracks, lubricating appropriate moving components, checking hardware, and making minor adjustments can help keep doors and windows operating the way they should.
And these are exactly the types of little maintenance jobs homeowners tend to put off.
Ladders Aren’t for Everyone
Not everyone is capable of getting on a high ladder, leaning over, and being unsteady, nor should they. Cleaning a sunroom or outdoor area requires a lot of water and water spraying. Nothing is more dangerous than standing on a ladder that is soaking wet.
That is what we are here for. We get all of those little places that you probably wouldn’t or shouldn’t.
Carolina Weather Can Be Tough on Outdoor Spaces
North Carolina and South Carolina offer some of the best weather for outdoor living, but our climate also comes with plenty of challenges. We have to deal with extreme heat, humidity, heavy rains, thunderstorms, pollen, wind, occasional freezing temperatures… and don’t forget falling leaves.
Seasonal temperature changes can affect sealants and weatherstripping. Storms blow around a lot of debris, gutters become clogged, and screens are damaged due to the harsh conditions year-round.
A regular inspection and cleaning give you the opportunity to identify changes gradually instead of discovering them when something is wrong and stops working.
How Often Should You Maintain a Sunroom?
For most outdoor living spaces, an annual inspection is often enough, but some spaces may benefit from having an inspection biannually. Our maintenance packages include cleaning, so having it done post-debris, like pollen season and fall leaves, will ensure your space will be game-day ready and beautiful in time for the holidays.
The right schedule differs based on the age and the type of your outdoor living space. Also, things like weather exposure, surrounding trees and woods, and other environmental hazards will dictate how much wear and tear your structure will likely encounter.
Don’t Forget About Cleaning!
Regular cleaning is also a huge part of keeping your outdoor living space good for the long term. Pollen is a particularly familiar problem for homeowners throughout North and South Carolina. It can seemingly cover everything overnight.
Tracks, screens, frames, gutters, and exterior surfaces collect pollen, dirt, debris, and mold. However, not all cleaners are approved for your sunroom materials. Often, homeowners make the mistake of using over-the-counter products that contain harsh chemicals that will dull the appearance of your windows.
When in doubt, check the manufacturer’s care instructions or, better yet, just hire us and be sure your sunroom is clean and safe! For example, Eze-Breeze provides specific care and maintenance instructions for cleaning flexible vinyl glazing.
Do You Really Want to Spend Your Weekend Doing Chores?
Sunrooms don’t get built for free—they are an investment, and as such, you should do what you can to protect that investment. With so many obligations on your already full plate, why not delegate your sunroom maintenance to the professionals?
What If Express Sunrooms of the Carolinas Didn’t Build It?
No worries! Even if we weren’t privileged to build your sunroom, we would love to maintain it!
Protect Your Investment and Your Free Time!
A sunroom or outdoor living space is the perfect addition to your home for family gatherings and creating memories, but you can’t create them if you spend all your time taking care of them. Spending every free weekend caring for your outdoor living space is counterproductive.
Express Sunrooms of the Carolinas would like to give you your weekends back. Your outdoor space is for enjoying. We’ll handle the maintenance! Ready to spend less time maintaining and more time enjoying? Contact us today and sign up for one of our maintenance care packages.
