It’s a dream life for many, a seaside property, the sun and the sand. However it is a very hard environment for our houses. I own a property maintenance business in a coastal area of NSW Australia, which has given me a great deal of experience with these problems. Hopefully this article will help you identify problems that can occur living by the sea, and give you some guidance in how to prevent unnecessary damage occurring.

Gutters

I see a large number of rusted gutters and downpipes in this area. Rust is a common problem because of the high level of salt that end up on your house. However there are ways to increase the life of your gutters and downpipes. The easiest is to ensure the you clean or have your gutters cleaned at least twice a year. I recommend that gutters are cleaned at the end of Autumn, after the leaves have stopped falling and before the rain in winter, and again at the end of spring and before the fire danger period of summer. Clean gutters will allow the water to drain away and take with it any salt residue. Blocked gutters result in a build up of a salty silt that sits in your gutter and begins to corrode at the paint and metal.

Along with keeping your gutters clean, is making sure they still fall correctly. This means that there are no low points in you gutter where the water will pool and not drain away freely. In heavy rain you may notice your gutters overflowing in a particular area, this is an indication of a possible low spot or blockage. If you gutters appear crooked or uneven to the eye, then you should get them checked and repaired if necessary.

The next points relate to your choice of gutters and up keep. Ensure that you paint your gutters. Not only will this improve the look of your house, it will help to preserve the gutters. If having new gutters installed make sure you do your research. At $50+ per meter of gutter installed you want to make sure that you are buying quality gutters that come with a warranty.

Screen doors, fly screens and security doors

Just like gutters, screen doors, fly screens and security doors are susceptible to rust. But you have bought marine grade stainless steel? While this is a great product, stainless steel does rust. Make sure from time to time you wash your security or flyscreen doors. When replacing flyscreens opt for a nylon based mesh. Although it is not as tough as a wire based product it will have a longer life in a coastal environment