Home Improvements to Endure Extreme Summer Temperature
6 Must-Do Home Improvements to Endure Extreme Summer Temperature
Nature can be tough on your home, specifically within the summer months. Thunderstorms, tornadoes and also cyclones can result in broad damage to properties and entire communities. Some preparation, however, will help property owners shield their homes against severe-weather destruction.
“It pays to ready your home to handle the worst of the Nature dishes out in any season,” states Ed Del Grande, a home improvement expert, author, TV host as well as spokesperson for Kohler. “Damage due to storms can cause costly maintenance, or even force you to abandon your property totally.”
Here are 6 home advancements you may carry out to help take care of your house from summer storm destruction:
- Repair or substitute home windows.
Look at the state of your home’s windows along with the weather stripping around them. Re-caulk windows where removing is worn, and replace any house windows that are damaged. If you live in an area prone to storms as well as winds, like those from hurricanes and tornadoes, give some thought to investing in some plywood or permanent storm shutters that you can keep on hand to cover glass windows when a storm approaches.
- Cut trees and shrubs, and take good care of landscaping.
Maintain your yard free of debris as well as stuff like kids’ toys and gardening tools. Throughout storms with high winds, debris and items on the yard may become projectiles which damage siding as well as home windows. Examine trees and shrubs to make sure they’re healthy. Eradicate diseased trees, which are more probable to come down in a storm, and keep shrubs and trees trimmed to lower the risk of branches damaging your home.
- Install a standby electrical generator.
Power black outs are a common result of severe weather, and losing electric power can result in more destruction to your home. Automated standby generators, like those from Kohler, turn on within a few moments of a utility power outage, run on propane or natural gas and are connected to the house, just like an outdoor air conditioner. Automated standby generators hold critical appliances functioning when the electricity goes out, making sure you will not go without refrigerators, sump pumps, and critical home systems just like air-con. If you’re interested in learning more about standby power options, visit www.KohlerGenerators.com for informational video clips, sizing calculators and other helpful information.
- Set up a sump pump.
Summer storms usually bring flooding to many parts of the country. In case your house has a downstairs room, investing in a sump pump – which eliminates water when it accumulates in a basin – may help prevent the costly damage caused by flooding. Heavy rains can easily fill a downstairs room with water, damaging anything kept there, as well as important systems such as furnaces or water heaters. A sump pump with an automated sensor will switch on as soon as it detects water, protecting your basement even if you are not home when the flooding takes place.
- Look after the gutters.
Blocked gutters can result in flooding in the basement and water leaks in the roof throughout storms with heavy rainfall. Before storm season comes, have a look at rain gutters and clear them of debris. Repair or replace any damaged areas of the overall system. Gutters provide important defense for your property, so if yours have seen better days, give consideration to replacing them altogether.
- Set up roof clips/hurricane straps.
If you reside in a place prone to tornados, roof clips or hurricane straps can help ensure the roof stays on your property in high winds. Check out building codes in your town, as some states require new construction to be constructed with these protections. If your home does not have them, a professional can simply retrofit your roof with clips and straps to help prevent the roof from blowing off. Losing the roof isn’t just a massively pricey repair; it means you have also lost the part of your home that does the most to guard everything and everyone inside it.
“You won’t be able to control the climate, but you can definitely prepare for it,” Del Grande says. “And you can guard your property and family from bad weather’s worst effects. It is important to be proactive, ahead of storm season really gets going.”