Summer Home Preparations
The summer bells are chiming, and it’s about to get hot! Now, it is time to make hay during the sunshine before it gets too hot. Yes, you ought to make sure that your home can withstand the heat that comes during the season. Let’s look at six smart summer home preparations you can do ahead of summertime to ensure that your home serves you and your family in the best way possible.
Get your air conditioner serviced
Don’t wait till summer to rush to your AC. Yes, spring is the best time to review the functionality of your air conditioner and ensure that it’s working well. If it is faulty, you can get to contact an AC professional to work on it as you prepare for the hot days ahead. If it’s proper and functional, you can test run it and perhaps do a couple of AC maintenance procedures.
You can change the heating and air filters if you haven’t done so in the last four months. You can also unclog the system’s filter by removing dusty particles. These and other maintenance procedures will ensure the air conditioner is working well in the summer, plus it will last longer.
Turn off the central heating system
That central heating system installed in your house can deliver heat throughout the year, but summer is the best time to give it rest and maybe take time to service it. Besides, you will realize that it is not only a way of saving energy but also money. You may not need the supplemented heat when it is already hot! In case you have an old boiler, it may well be worth turning it off during the summertime to lengthen its life.
Prepare for Summer rains
It is not unlikely that you will experience showers of rain during summer. That is one reason why you need to get a quick look at your roof and also the exterior of your house to inspect for minor problems. Check for any misaligned, cracked, or missing shingles, which can be a pathway for water to seep into your home. Additionally, you will need to check the flashings for rust and inspect the caulk to ensure there are no cracks. If any, then make sure that they are corrected.
Take a quick look at the chimney to check out for any stones that may have fallen out or any growing vegetation, which might be a sign of water issues. Get any problem corrected ahead of summer rains.
Generally speaking, examine your home’s exterior and be on the lookout for anything rotting or that might be damaged during the summer.
Create a storm emergency kit
You should also prepare for any storm during the summer. Ensure to check or assemble your emergency supply kit with tools such as batteries, water, first aid tools, and flashlights, etc. Once you have created one, place it in a designated location where it can easily be accessible to your family members and any other people in your home. Also, don’t forget to come up with a simple emergency plan that will detail how your family can respond to any dangerous storm.
Bug proof your home
Bug infestation is the last thing that you want to deal with besides the heat stress in the summer. The irony is that the bugs are also likely to be running away from the high temperatures, thus setting camp in your house.
You will thus need to keep bugs out of your home ahead and during summer. You can use simple DIY hacks ways to repel or trap the insects in the summer. For starters, make sure your house is well sealed. You can also sprinkle coffee grounds around entryways that act as a repellent preventing any bugs and insects from entering your house. You can also clean your shelves and food containers with solutions like white vinegar to ensure that there is no food smell to attract the bugs to your house. You can lure the insects into a fresh fruit trap. You can do so by making a solution using fruits and putting it about 20 meters from your house. The bugs will be attracted, and you can get them trapped!
Indoor plants
One of the best ways to regulate temperatures in your house is to grow some indoor plants during the summer. The plants in your home can help cool your home as they lose water vapor raising the humidity levels in the house. The indoor plants also ensure that you breathe fresh air as they take away the carbon dioxide you breathe out and emit the much-needed oxygen. The humidity released by the plants helps maintain indoor moisture regulating heat in your home. This will also help prevent wood furniture from cracking owing to the heat stress. Other than these, the plants will add some beauty to your house!