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While most people associate summer with traveling to new places and getting ready for fun-filled vacations, there's a lot of maintenance that has to happen at home. The excess heat brings a few challenges, and if you fall behind on any duties, then you risk making your summer a lot less fun than it could be.
Here are 5 ways to get your house ready for summer. We recommend starting early, so you can focus on enjoying the beautiful summer months while they last!
1) Check Up On Your Air Conditioner
There's nothing worse than when your air conditioner taps out in the middle of a heatwave. It's always best to make sure your air conditioner works correctly with an annual inspection in the months approaching summer. If you find anything amiss, get an air conditioning repair service as soon as possible to ensure your home is filled with cool air until September.
Even if your air conditioner is working correctly, it's always useful to take off the cover and clean the filters with some lukewarm water. This way, you can remove any clumps of dirt or dust that may have gathered and inhibit the cooling process. This will make your air conditioner run more efficiently and save you money on your energy bill.
2) Use Natural Shade To Cool Down Your House
While running an air conditioner is great for cooling down your house, it can get pretty expensive. To curb the hit to your energy bill, it can be really effective to use natural shade to cool down your house.
We recommend planting trees by windows and installing overhangs on your roof to prevent the amount of sunlight that heats your home. This way, your air conditioner won't need to work as hard to keep your house cool and can cost you less in the long run.
3) Make Sure Your House Is Insulated
Adding insulation to your house can actually make your home cooler if used in conjunction with an air conditioning unit. While in the winter months, insulation is used to keep the hot air in, in the summer, it also works to keep the cold air in.
The same goes for double-glazed, energy-efficient windows. Insulation in your walls and energy-efficient windows help keep the cold air inside your house and prevent you from using your air conditioner to cool the outside as well.
4) Use White Paint To Reflect Outside Heat
If you plan on revitalizing your home with a splash of fresh paint, white can be a great color for houses commonly in warmer temperatures.
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Steven Chu actually found that by painting a house and roof white, you could save yourself from spending more on your energy bill. This is because the white color bounces light and heat back to space instead of storing it and heating your house as darker colored roofs do. As a result, you won't need to use your air conditioner anywhere near as much.
5) Ensure Your Home Is Bug-Proof
In the summer, with the heat often comes insects. Nothing is worse than finding your house full of nasty creepy crawlies. Make sure the insects stay outside by checking that your house is properly sealed and there are no cracks or gaps in your windows and doors.
Spraying the outside of your house with insecticide can also be an effective deterrent if insects are a persistent problem.
Final Thoughts
Remember to be proactive about air conditioning inspection and service, use natural shade when possible, and make sure your home is insulated. You can also avoid heat with a new paint job and keep bugs away with any conventional spray.
If you follow the above tips, you can ensure your house is effectively protected against the summer elements while also saving you money on your energy bill.
