The hot weather is upon us, although it varies wildly. The UK can’t make its mind up as usual while wildfires rage in Europe. However, closer to home, you only need to worry about summer home protection because the season can wreak havoc on a property. From cracked paint to mold and moss, and pavement damage, there are some pretty severe issues you must make yourself aware of. And indeed, take action against the fluctuating temperatures if need be.
Plumbing and Pipe Issues
One of the worst things the summer can do to your home is cause problems with your pipes and plumbing system. As pipes expand and contract with the heating and cooling of the day and night, it can cause damage over time. Add to this the pressure of using more water for things like outdoor pools, and you could be looking at a serious situation for your hot water systems. Luckily cheap PVC paint and insulation can help protect your pipes against temperature issues.
Cracked Paint on Your Walls
You can spend a lot of time and money painting your walls, inside and out, only for heat to make them peel and crack. What a nightmare! Humidity is the main culprit and can cause your paint to come off the walls. Ventilation can help with this, but some other prevention tips include:
- Always use the correct paint for the room and surface, such as bathroom paint.
- Keep the room well-ventilated using HVAC, open windows, and dehumidifiers.
- Prepare the walls well before you apply paint by sanding, cleaning, and applying primer.
- Inspect the walls for other issues that can cause cracking, such as dampness.
Cracking paint is costly and time-consuming. And in some cases, it can be dangerous. For example, paint chips can contain lead in older properties, causing severe illness and death if you ingest them. So always check for this beforehand and take the necessary precautions.
Summer Home Protection Includes Siding
Like the walls, the heat, humidity, and even UV rays from the sun can damage your siding and wooden panels. UV rays especially can make them unsightly by fading the paint. Not what you want when trying to enjoy your beautiful home. Fortunately, it’s very easy to protect your siding. You can protect it by using wood staining products and varnish. These often provide a protective barrier between the sun’s UV rays and the wood itself. Ensure you clear away any moss first.
A Patchy Lawn
The biggest sign of heat damage to your home is probably the lawn. Who doesn’t love an emerald green patch of grass in their garden? However, the sun can all but destroy your lawn if you aren’t careful. And lawn care needs much more than just watering. Some tips include not mowing the lawn too short, keeping your mower blades well-maintained, and taking it easy with fertilizer. Too much nitrogen content added to your lawn will cause the grass to turn brown.
Dangerous Wooden Fencing
Beautiful fencing can make or break the look of your garden. It can also be expensive to install, so why not take care of it? You must inspect your fences because sun damage isn’t always visible at first glance and begins at the bottom. Summer storms can damage fencing with the wind. But humidity and heat cause dry damage to the bottom of your fencing. And this further leads to rotting wood, so provide drainage and use good quality fence sealant and paint.
Increased Moss Growth
Further to rotting wood, there’s nothing more unsightly than excess moss cornering your fancy wood. The higher humidity that comes with summer gives moss what it needs to spread. This can affect all your wooden stuff, such as decking, fencing, and even patio furniture. However, you can all but prevent moss with some proactive care. Inspect your yard every now and then, and pressure wash anything you find. Shading and wooden sealant can also help prevent moss.
Damage to Your Roof
One of the most dangerous things about summer heat and storms is the damage they can cause to your roofing. Often you won’t even notice this until something bad happens, and this can be a disaster. However, you can prevent some of the worst by inspecting your roof:
- Clean the gutters before a storm is coming and after when it is safe to do so.
- Have a professional replace any damaged shingles immediately.
- Clear away any stuck-on and stubborn moss or mud with a pressure washer.
- Make it a habit to inspect your roof every month to spot problems early on.
- Apply UV coatings and roof sealants to prevent expansion and contraction issues.
- Clear away any fast-growing branches and shrubs to prevent further damage.
- Never try to repair or alter your roof unless you are qualified to do so.
Summer comes with a whole list of problems that can plague your roofing. In most countries, summer storms and fluctuating temperatures damage the roof directly. But because of the heat and rain, plants also grow a lot faster, so you need to ensure they aren’t damaging the shingles.
Cracked Pavements and Concrete
Not only do they ruin the look of your home, but cracked pavers and concrete driveways are very dangerous. Would you really want to be stepping out of your car at the end of a hard day’s work only to trip and fall? And what of the implications if someone outside of your household is injured? Summer can beat down on the floor so hard it cracks even the strongest of materials. You can prevent this by applying UV sealant to your external flooring every two to three years. Also, consider replacing susceptible areas with unilock pavers, which are designed to withstand severe weather changes and prevent cracking, enhancing both safety and aesthetics.
Buckled Hardwood Flooring
Further to flooring, what about the inside of your home? If you have ever renovated and used natural materials, then you know how expensive wood can be. So why not protect it? Humidity and heat can cause the fibers to lose strength in wood, and this results in buckling. This is more likely to happen when the humidity is above 50% for prolonged periods. You can keep your home cool and moisture-free with dehumidifiers, HVAC, fans, and strong cross breezes.
Dangerous Mold in Your Home
There aren’t many things in a home more dangerous than mold. Mold thrives in the summer, where humidity and heat allow it to multiply faster. Your kitchen and bathroom are the most likely to come up against mold because of what they are used for. But you should also check ceiling edges and around your windows. Excess condensation in poor or old windows can make mold worse. And you should try to allow as much fresh air inside your home as possible at all times.
Summer Home Protection for the Foundation
Mold is extremely dangerous and is made worse in the summer. But one thing can loom over, or rather, under you, in the summer. With excess heat, the soil around and under your home can become dry, and when this happens, it shrinks and loses strength. Following this, your foundation can begin to sink. Telltale signs include wall cracking, ill-fitting doors, and buckled flooring. If you have any of these, then call a foundation expert as soon as you possibly can.
An Overworked HVAC
Of course, your HVAC system is like your best friend in the summer. It helps keep you and your family from killing each other by staying cool. But it also helps provide a better home atmosphere and circulating high-quality air. However, your HVAC can also suffer in summer:
- Learn to clean and replace the filters of your HVAC system to make them last.
- Hire a professional to clean the more intricate parts of your HVAC system.
- Check the outside unit and make sure there are no leaves and debris around it.
- Check the system for leaks if you notice any strange smells in the air at home.
The above tips are very easy DIY tasks that can help keep your HVAC running well in summer. However, an HVAC is a very complex machine, so always schedule an expert if you aren’t sure how to maintain it. Otherwise, you can add downtime and end up paying much more money.
Power Outages Issues
Summer comes with thunder and lightning, and as cool as this is, they cause severe damage, not least power outages in your home. Even in countries such as the UK, which only gets around 10 days of thunder per year, these can be devastating. Summer lightning can strike near your home and cause it to lose power through surges. This is when a home’s circuit exceeds its limit and blows. Fortunately, simple power surge plugs will prevent this from happening.
Summary
Summer home protection is a necessity these days. According to some experts, our hot season is getting hotter and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But protecting your home from summer is easier than you think. All you need to do is take a proactive approach, and you can protect your pipes and plumbing, the roofing, and even prevent power surges from causing a blackout. Some come with a cost, but it’s nothing compared to what can happen without them.
