As summer approaches, you’re likely preparing your home and activities already. One of the ways you may be preparing for the new season is by buying and loading up your summerhome furniture. Before you add your summerhome furniture to your space, there are some tasks you should complete to ensure your home is ready.
Restructure Your Foundation
A solid foundation is important for any home, including your summer space. It may have suffered some damage while you were away. Be extra cautious if your house is near a body of water like the ocean, as salt water can be corrosive. Therefore, there may be underlying damage you’re unaware of, so you should have the right inspectors or contractors work on it. For example, you may need a home elevation contractor to restore your foundation if it has begun to sink. If you’re in an area with a high water table, it can cause the foundation to sink. You don’t want that to continue to happen, as you may lose your whole home.
Foundation contractors should check your space for any leaks. After all, leaks can trickle slowly over time, and you may not realize it until water stains show up on your ceilings and walls. These leaks can happen due to cracks in your roofing or piping system. So, if you have old pipes that have become corrosive, they may now threaten your foundation. While it may be an expensive upgrade, you may need to replace your piping to ensure your summer home will be safe this year and years beyond. Some of the most protective and popular piping plumbers use PVC pipes or copper pipes. Once you ensure your home is not susceptible to leaks and flooding, you can safely load in your summerhome furniture to make yourself comfortable.
To restructure your foundation, they may have to do additional work in your basement if you have one. Since the basement is the lowest level in any home, it can often be susceptible to moisture and drainage issues. Those drainage issues can cause cracks in your basement floors and walls. Your basement foundation contractors can reinforce the foundation with concrete. They may further protect your foundation by installing a sump pump underneath your basement floor.
Find a New Energy Source
If you’ve had the same summerhouse for several years, it may need some modern upgrades, particularly regarding energy. Just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean it’ll be hot all the time. After all, summer can be more or less intense in different regions. There are some places you’re likely to have a very cool or cold summer night. For example, when in the desert, it may be intensely hot during the day but can become very cold at night because of the atmosphere. Areas like New England have very seasonal weather, where summer may begin to cool down sooner than it does in places in the south. With that said, before you move in your summerhome furniture, you should look into a furnace install. With a furnace, your home will always have access to heat. That way, if you visit your summer home in the winter, you can still keep yourself cozy. A furnace allows you to have a fast way to heat your home and can save you on your HVAC costs. That’s significant, as the energy burnt from your HVAC unit is often one of the highest contributing factors to your electrical bill.
If you decide to install a furnace, you must find the right home heating oils for it. Many Americans opt for home heating oils with propane Due to its energy efficiency, availability, and ability to quickly provide warmth. It’s a clean, burning fuel with fewer emissions compared to other fuel options. According to Smart Touch Energy, propane use can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 70%. When you need to heat your summer home, it will have a comfortable and fast level of warmth with this fuel. In addition, you’re not restricted by the type of furnace to use if you prefer this type of oil. You can use propane with central heating zone heating boilers, as well as furnaces. Plus, you’d be supporting domestic production as almost 90% of propane used in the United States is produced in North America.
Don’t forget about going as green as possible with the addition of solar energy. Before you load in your summerhome furniture, it may be time to call a solar energy company for a consultation. If impressed with the benefits of propane, you’ll be impressed with how energy-efficient and cost-effective solar is. Solar power is the cheapest type of electricity you can use, as it relies on the power of the sun as opposed to the electrical grid. If you were to equip your summer home with a solar panel upgrade, you may also get federal tax credits, which provide a rebate from your initial installation cost. Plus, you may end up improving the value of your summer home with this clean energy upgrade. You also won’t have to worry about the constant maintenance. Once installed, a well-installed solar system network can easily last 20 years.
Make Your Pool Usable
Your summerhome furniture will likely include some poolside lounges and tables to enjoy during your pool parties. After all, swimming is fun year-round, but it’s especially great in summer. Before you move in your summerhome furniture, check that your pool is safe and usable for everyone. Contact local swimming pool companies to open your pool for the season. They can remove the leaves and debris that have fallen in. There may be scales or algae built up on your pool walls that need removal. Your swimming pool contractors need to switch out the water, check the filters, and do a thorough inspection to ensure the pH balance is set. After all, if the pH is too high or too low, it causes skin and eye irritation, when swimming.
Now may also be the time to enhance the deck space around your pool by installing patio pavers. Patio pavers are a beautiful design element that can come in different colors. They provide traction to prevent slips around the pool area. Therefore, you can make your pool booth safer and more decorative with this upgrade. You may also want to add a diving board for more active swimmers and a pool volleyball net for water-time sports competitions.
Now is the perfect time to make your pool more usable by adding a spa or hot tub. Hot tub installations have gained popularity not just because they can make your pool parties more entertaining, but because they can improve your health. According to Healthline, 15 to 30 minutes in a hot tub soak can help lower your blood pressure, reduce the effects of inflammation, and ease tired muscles. If anyone in your family or friend group is dealing with back pain, high blood pressure, or arthritis, your hot tub can be therapeutic. When you want an additional way to relax this summer, having a hot tub in your summer home is one of the best ways to do so.
Get a New Roof
Make sure your roof is in good condition before moving in your summerhome furniture. Contact a local roofing contractor to do an inspection. If your roof is near the end of its lifespan, no longer fits your personal aesthetic, or had many repairs over the years, you may want to skip the inspection and just decide on a new installation. With all the advances in roofing technology, you have more options than ever. While asphalt shingles are still the most popular roof in the United States, there are other options such as metal, slate, ceramic tiles, TPO, and more. Metal has become more popular because it’s durable, energy-efficient, beautiful, and has an extremely long lifespan. The metal roof you add to your summer home this year may still be there 70 years from now. It can also withstand winds up to 140 mph, which is essential protection if your summer home is near an area prone to hurricanes in the fall.
Don’t forget about your gutters. Your gutters are a vital part of your roofing network, as they usher water away from your roof surface. They also redirect water away from your foundation so they can prevent water damage and flooding. Gutter companies can clean your existing gutters and inspect them for cracks, holes, and sagging. If you’re worried about your gutters constantly becoming full, especially when you’re not there, you may want to have contractors install gutter guards. Gutter guards can prevent a buildup of debris from nearby trees. They also prevent the forming of ice dams when winter sets in. After all ice dams can be a danger if they fall on anyone standing below. These guards are also essential in keeping away pests. After all, pests such as snakes, rodents, and squirrels love to take up shop in your gutters, especially when there’s debris from leaves to nest in.
Remodel the Bathroom
Did you know bathroom remodeling was the number two project American homeowners do annually? If you haven’t upgraded your summer home bathrooms in a while, now is the time to call local bathroom remodeling companies. They can upgrade your summer master bathroom and other bath areas with several enhancements. Add additional storage by way of vanities, built-in medicine cabinets, and shower shelves. Add a standalone bathtub to your master bath for extra relaxation on late summer nights. Add dual flush toilets for better water conservation. After all, traditional toilets waste as many as five gallons per flush compared to one gallon in a dual flush toilet, according to the EPA. Replace your shower heads with rainfall showers and other attachments. Ensure your bathrooms have proper ventilation to avoid excessive humidity, which can lead to mold.
Clean Up Thoroughly
One of the best ways to prepare for summerhome furniture loading is to ensure that your space is as clean as possible. A house cleanout company can get rid of excess trash, debris, and old furniture you no longer need. If you plan to do a more thorough remodel, there may be old furniture, countertops material, and elements you can quickly get rid of. Maybe you haven’t been in your summer home attic in a while and you have several boxes filled with things you no longer need. Once you’ve cleaned up, you may want to contact a home builder to add some additions to your house as well. If you have enough landscape space, you may want to add an exterior guest house. That way, your main home can still be a private space for you and your family and any guest staying a while can also have their privacy.
Why not build a gazebo or pergola to enjoy your late summer nights in the garden more? A homebuilder may add or expand a deck or patio. Some home builder professionals can add even more expansive elements like outdoor kitchens to your deck. If you want to stay busy in your summer home, you may want to build a shed or separate workshop.
Don’t forget about power washing. Power washing can clean off your walkways, decks, driveways, roofing, and exterior windows. A professional power washer can safely use this method to quickly clean up your exterior and you won’t have to strain yourself doing so. When they’re finished, your exterior can look fresh and be free of dirt, mold, grime, and other unsightly build-up.
As you can see, there are many things to consider before you begin your summerhome furniture loading. You want to get your home clean and deal with any adjustments like renovations beforehand. There’s never been a better time to get a new roof or make those long-awaited bathroom renovations. The sky’s the limit in what you can do to enhance your beautiful summer house, so get started now before the summer months kick in.