The last thing you’d want to happen to your home is destruction and damage due to improper preparations for seasonal changes. Extreme weather contributes to home calamities. For instance, floods can sweep your home away during heavy rains and a hurricane can blow away your roof.
As a homeowner, ensuring your home is safe for all seasons is in your best interest. You can take some precautionary measures to protect your home from seasonal calamities. Research the seasonal disasters in your area of residence to prepare as needed. For instance, the hurricane season stretches for about six months, i.e., from June to November. Understanding the home protection measures to undertake during this timeline is crucial for safeguarding your home and your family’s safety.
Here are six home protection tips for every season:
Organize Your Home Insurance
Preparing for the calamities before they happen is critical. It’s vital to insure your property against destruction. You can approach insurance brokers if your location is significantly affected during a specific season. The insurance cover is handy in case of tragedy, as it covers help with repairs and any temporary living expenses.
You can also collaborate with an established home insurance expert to plan the best evacuation and safety procedures during a disaster. It’s the first step to reducing the risks and damage associated with extreme weather conditions.
Inspect Your HVAC System
When the weather gets warm or cold, you’ll need to keep your cooling and heating system running throughout. As such, it’d be best to inspect your heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) to ensure the system is in the best working condition. Given their increased uses when the weather changes, keeping up with regular maintenance is essential.
Below is a checklist of good HVAC unit maintenance practices:
- Replace the filters
- Change worn-out pulleys and belts
- Correct temperature settings
- Check electrical connections and vents
- Lubricate moving parts
- Inspect blowers and blades to ensure proper airflow
- Ensure the motor fan is running properly
A properly working HVAC system will save energy bills and make your home conducive during seasonal changes. You can hire professionals to maintain your units. Their expertise and experience will help you avoid further damaging your unit and make durable repairs.
Cover Your Windows And Doors
Windows and doors are entryways that can allow the elements to penetrate your home. For instance, sand and dirt will fill your home if you don’t cover them in a storm. It’s advisable to board your windows with storm shutters.
Alternatively, you can use plywood to reinforce the windows. It’d help if you also repaired all the broken window glass. For areas prone to extreme weather conditions, it’s best to install impact-resistant windows.
They’re more advanced and perform much like windshields protecting your home. While at it, you’d also want to reinforce your doors. For instance, in a hurricane, it’d be best to use sandbags. This way, the wind doesn’t blow open your doors and allows debris into your home.
Prepare Your Home For Floods
Prolonged and heavy rainfall can result in floods. Floods have severe impacts on your home. Here are some of the damage floods can cause to your home:
- Structural damage to your house that weakens your foundation
- Roof damage due to excess pressure
- Mold and mildew growth on your walls
- Loosen floorboards
It’s possible to minimize the effects of floods in your home. You can repair your plumbing system to ensure there are no leaks. You may also need to reinforce the system by changing plastic and metallic pipes. They’re more robust and can withstand the pressure from floods. It’s also essential to keep up with governmental regulations on flooding areas.
Inspect Chimney And Roof
Birds and animals can crawl up your chimney and roofs as they look for warm spots. Additionally, leaves can find their way into your gutter systems and cause blockage. As such, inspecting the chimney and ceiling during the spring season is essential. It helps secure openings that encourage birds and animals to enter your home. Hiring professional chimney cleaners to clean your chimney from creosote before the fire-burning season starts is a must because it is very inflammable and you don’t want to take the risk of setting your chimney on fire.
On the other hand, snow and hail can damage your roof. They form dents and patches on your roof that encourage water leakage during the rainy season. A quick assessment can tell you if it’s time to replace your roof. Roof leakages can be disastrous since they affect your ceiling and wall structure. Additionally, hurricanes can blow off your roof.
The best way to secure your roofing system is to strap it using clips. They help minimize the risk and damage. This way, you’ll improve your chances of surviving a storm. You can contact a professional roofing system installer to work on your roof and check for damage.
Trim Your Trees
In windy seasons, vegetation around your home could lead to disaster. For instance, during hurricanes, trees can fall on your property and damage the roofing system. Preparing for such safety concerns is essential if your area is prone to storms.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. There are two ways to do it. First, you can trim your trees. Second, remove the tree entirely. Giant trees around your home have extended branches that could fall on your property or interfere with electrical wires when swayed by the strong winds. As such, it’d be best to hire expert tree removal services. They can remove the trees or trim them, depending on the risk associated with the season.
Conclusion
Although seasonal changes bring calamities, avoiding the overall effects is possible. You only need to observe the weather changes and prepare your home appropriately. The tips above are valuable insights you can apply to your home protection strategies. It’s best to work with professionals when renovating your home. This way, you avoid causing additional damage and settle on solid solutions.
