Is Your Home Weather-Proof?
Whether you live in a hot climate or a cooler one, the weather is always going to be a factor in your life. Not only is it something you need to think about when it comes to your comfort and safety, but your home could be vulnerable as well. It’s wise to understand how to spot if your home is weather-proof or if there could be problems looming – if there are, you can do something about them sooner rather than later and ensure that your property stays protected. With that in mind, here are some things to look for to make sure your home is weather-proof.
Protect Your Roof
If there’s one area of your home that could be most vulnerable to the weather (which includes heat, cold, rain, snow, high winds, and storms), it’s your roof. After all, that’s where the weather is going to be focused a lot of the time, and if your roof isn’t secure or in good repair, other areas of your home could suffer. Water leaking through the roof will lead to mould and dampness, for example, and any holes caused by shingles being blown off will mean it’s more expensive to heat the property.
The best thing to do is stand outside your home and look up at the roof – don’t lean out of a window to try and see better, as that’s highly dangerous. Of course, you won’t be able to see everything from the ground, which is why it’s often a good idea to get experts to look instead. They can tell you if there are problems and carry out roofing repair work to put things right much more quickly and accurately than you would be able to.
Upgrade Your Windows And Doors
Your roof is the most vulnerable area of your home, but there are other areas to check as well, and your windows and doors should be next on the list. If they’re quite old or not of great quality, it could be that there are drafts and leaks, and your home will always be difficult to keep warm or cool (depending on the time of year and the temperature outside). That’s going to end up costing you more in energy bills, not to mention the fact that it makes your home a lot easier for burglars to access.
If your windows and doors are causing problems, the best course of action is to replace them where possible – getting brand new windows and doors that are up-to-date and comply with regulations makes your home safer, more comfortable, and cheaper to run. If your budget doesn’t stretch to new windows and doors, you’ll need to seal the gaps around them as a temporary measure.
Clear Your Gutter
Your gutter is a very important part of weather-proofing your home – as long as you keep it clear. The gutter is there to capture the water that rolls off the roof and funnel it down to a safe place where it’s not going to cause any harm – a drain is the usual end point. Without your gutters, the rain or snow would fall off the roof and pool around your walls, potentially damaging the foundation, not to mention the walls themselves as the water dripped down.
You’ll need to clean out your gutters on a regular basis so they can do their job; they tend to get full of debris like leaves and twigs, and that means the water can’t go where it needs to, and it will tip over the top of the gutters instead.
