Weatherproof Your Home Outdoors

Clean gutters. This will help prevent rotted wood. If you are uncomfortable standing on a ladder, hire someone. Cost: $50 to $100 per cleaning
Check your roof every two to three years. You can pay a roofer to inspect and repair the metal flashings, problem shingles and cracked seals around vents. Or do it yourself with a caulking gun and silicone sealant for less than $10.
If necessary, a professional should replace flashing or shingles.
Remove leaves and sticks from the roof to prevent rot and eventual water leakage.
Cover your air conditioner. Protecting it from the elements in the cold months will extend its life. Covers, sold at hardware stores, are available for window and central-air units. Cost: About $15 for window units . . . more for central air-conditioning units.
Reseal your asphalt driveway. Sealant keeps water from seeping into the asphalt, causing it to crack and crumble when water freezes and expands.
Reseal your driveway every two years – more often if it becomes dull gray instead of shiny black. This takes three to four hours. Cost to hire a professional: $150 to $300 for a standard driveway.
In warmer climates, the sun deteriorates the surface. So even if you live in a climate that stays above freezing, reseal the driveway every four to five years.
Aerate your lawn. An aerator looks like a push lawn mower with spikes instead of blades. It removes plugs of grass and soil and distributes them on the surface of the lawn, allowing rain to penetrate the ground.
Result: A healthier lawn in the spring.
It only takes about a half-hour to aerate an average lawn. Go in with some neighbors and rent an aerator for $80 to $100 for eight hours. Or pay a professional to do it. Cost:$80 to $120.Trim tree branches and bushes so they don’t touch your house or roof. Wind can cause branches to scratch away paint and/or roofing material, inviting mold and wood