With Memorial Day just around the corner, summer is rearing its head and making its presence felt. And while most of us are already done with our spring cleaning, the incoming season has us making plans to prepare our homes for its arrival.
9 Ways to Prepare Your House for the Summer of 2021
Before summer gets here, you need to make sure that you take the necessary steps to summer-proof your home and make it as pleasant as possible for the hot weather. Here are some ways to get your home summer-ready:
Have your HVAC System Checked While It’s Still Springtime?
It would totally be tragic to find out your AC is busted when summer rolls in. Don’t wait for summer to come before checking your AC. Call in the pros to check and conduct an AC repair if needed. The earlier you get to do this, the fewer concerns you have to think of around the house for summer.
Plant More Trees or Install Overhangs and Canopies
You have to passive design approaches to beat the heat of summer. One, you can plant more trees and shrubs all over your property. Plants have many great benefits, and one of them is they can repel heat and give your home cooler and much better air.
Two, if you don’t have the patience to wait for plants to spring up and fully mature (we still recommend it, though), easy fixes such as overhangs and canopies can be easily installed.
If you’re Installing a new air Conditioning unit, Decide if you’re Going with a Window-type or a Central AC
If you’re installing a new AC unit — whether you’re buying for the first time or replacing an old one — determine which type of unit you’re getting. Different units have their own advantages so choose the one that’s best for you and your home.
Conduct an Audit for Home Energy Efficiency
Today, many homeowners want their homes to be upgraded with the latest tech that makes their homes as energy-efficient as possible. While the concern is quite understandable, before making any changes to your home, you need to find out your residence’s consumption and energy flow to know where to make the necessary adjustments. A home energy audit will help you identify where and how to save money through energy conservation.
Make Some Upgrade to your Windows and Doors
Now we move on to the aesthetics. If you haven’t had the chance to spruce up your doors and windows during spring cleaning, it’s never too late. Give your windows and doors a good wash. Recaulk if necessary. Add some screen when you can to leave the windows and doors open without letting in unwanted elements.
Give your Roof a new Paint Job
Not only is giving your roof a new paint job visually pleasing, but research has also found that painting your roof white will help keep your home cooler during warmer weather. The color white deflects heat, which means a home absorbs less heat with a white roof. The less heat absorbed, the lesser energy is consumed, leading to a lower energy bill.
And while you’re at it, make sure you also clean out your gutters and drains.
Address any Moisture Problems Around the House
Summer is also synonymous with a dry season. This is the best time to get into your home’s crawl spaces and see what causes moisture in and around your property. This is not a great idea if you do this in rainy fall or icy winter. Take time to check around your home and address moisture problems now while the weather is perfect for it.
Add Some Insulation
Although some may argue that adding insulation during summer is counter-intuitive, it actually has certain benefits. The additional layer of insulation helps ensure that conditioned air is less likely to leak. And if anything, opening up walls to add insulation is best done in warm weather compared to doing it when winter rolls in.
Clean and Sanitize all High-Contact Surfaces at all Times
Since we’re still in a pandemic, we should still maintain a high standard of cleanliness and sanitation, especially at home. Frequently wipe and sanitize high-touch surfaces and objects to prevent the coronavirus from incubating in your home.
On top of that, make sure to also improve the air quality in your home. Clean and change your filters. Decorate with indoor plants to improve air circulation and quality. Make sure you also wash and disinfect your clothes and take a bath as soon as you get home if you’ve been out. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, so exercise caution always.
Are you done preparing your home for summer? What other things do you do to summer-proof your home? Please share them with us in the comments section below so that we can all learn from each other.
