Summer is the season of relaxation, but if you put in a little work, you can trim your to-do list for the fall and winter significantly. The exterior of your home should receive precedence because it has suffered through the cold harsh days of winter. Plus, you’d rather undertake these renovations when the weather is warm and the long days with extra sunlight can be taken advantage of.
The most fundamental feature of any home’s exterior is the roof. A dependable roof protects your home from summer storms to winter’s elements. Damaged or old roofs
(older than 15 to 20 years) are susceptible to water damage, leaks, mold and rot which leads to serious complications like foundational damage, interior flooding, driveway cracks or landscape erosion. Roofing projects are ideally reserved for summer months because new shingles require heat in order to form a weather-tight seal.
Rainy springs and summers take a toll on our gutters and downspouts and prematurely age them and cause them to sag and leak. Gutters and downspouts work together to direct water away from our roofs and homes foundation. Thus, sometimes a small repair isn’t enough and is potentially detrimental in the long run. Clear, clean gutters also spruce up your home's exterior and curb appeal.
Comparable to roofs, old siding develops rot, mold and mildew and eventually won’t be able to hold the paint and will flake and peel and be beyond repair for just a cover-up. When too many boards become loose or missing, your home’s exterior weather resistance lessens and leads to increased heating and cooling costs. Professionals typically handle this task because it must be installed accurately and flawlessly to protect your home’s exterior from water.
Regardless of the state of your exterior, rejuvenate it with a power or pressure wash; be mindful that you don’t spray upward at your home, so water doesn’t fill any crevices. Your driveways, decks, patios and walkways deserve some love, too. To sustain minimal damage on your deck, wash on the lowest setting. If your driveway is asphalt, and it’s been longer than three to ten years, and you live in extreme climates with heavy rain, snow or heat, it should be resealed. Doing this in the summer will prepare your driveway for salt, snow and decrease its odds of cracking.
Once the technical jobs are completed, the cosmetic projects can commence. Restore your home’s visual and curb appeal through landscaping. For a polished, inviting look, add mulch beds with shrubs and plant low maintenance flowers such as perennials and lupines. A walkway of crushed stones, a garden and solar lighting will guarantee an exterior face-lift. However, if your shutters, front door or garage is cracked, warped or weathered, the eye will be drawn to the damage, no matter how manicured your lawn. When in doubt, apply a fresh coat of paint to the exterior, shutters, front doors, garage, mailbox or fences for a refresh- or worst-case scenario, replace them. Warm weather cures paint properly so it will last longer if you repaint in summer. While not on display, repaint, restain or reseal your deck and consider waterproofing it as well as refinishing it to reduce cracks and splinters.
If you have some extra time or money for other projects, other renovations that will momentously upgrade your home and earn you a higher asking price in the future includes constructing a fire pit, outdoor kitchen, or shed or outbuilding- this can be used to store extra clutter or repurposed into a guesthouse or home office. Replace your windows to hinder cold air creeping through and driving up your heating bills. If you have central air conditioning, clean out leaves and trim shrubs around the condenser unit so you don’t have to crank your AC. While the interior is important for a home, the exterior sets the first impression and summer is the ideal time to execute these changes due to the beautiful weather.
