Is Your Home Ready for Summer?

With the heat of summer upon us, it’s important to get outdoor work done early. It’s easy to sleep in on the weekend and not get outside to mow that lawn until after noon, but on a really hot day, that can be dangerous. Heat stress and dehydration can cause a trip to the emergency room if you’re not careful. Plan ahead when doing anything on a 

hot day and remember to drink lots of water.  

Last time, we focused on how to save water and get ready for summer in your yard. Once you’ve got that all set, it’s time to take a look at how to summerize the house.

Summerize… and the Livin’ is Easy. In our area, we have all kinds of homes, from prefab modulars, to old bungalows, to modern marvels of efficiency. Most were built in the 1940s and 50s, so they’re a little more energy conscious than a drafty old Victorian, but they usually need extra attention because of their age and single-pane aluminum frame windows.

Summerizing your house is like winterizing, except the temperatures are reversed. This time, you’re trying to keep your cool air in and the heat out. So, just like winter heat loss can be a problem in your attic, so can heat radiation from that asphalt shingle roof you may have. Make sure the space between your roof and ceiling is well insulated, no matter how small that space may be! An attic fan that kicks on when it gets too hot up there is another smart investment to keep heat out of your ceiling space.

Your Biggest Fan
Speaking of fans, how about your cooling? No matter if you have an air conditioning unit or an evaporative cooler, change your filters or pads. Clean filters will help your AC run more efficiently and prevent it from overheating on really hot days. Evaporative cooler pads can get crusted with minerals from the water that keeps the air cool, and clog with dust and pollen, just like an AC filter. 

Somebody Crack a Window!
Here’s a simple tip to reduce your cooling costs: Open up your windows at night to let cool air in, especially on the north side of your house. Then, around mid-morning, close everything back up to keep the day’s heat out. If you have double-hung windows (that aren’t painted shut), you’re in luck. These were designed in the days before AC when people would open the top and bottom windows a couple of inches, and the escaping hot air near the ceiling would create an up-draft that pulled cool air in the bottom. Transom windows over a door served much the same purpose, but most of these are gone or painted shut today.

If you need help getting those painted windows free again so you can get some fresh air, give us a call! We can also help out with those AC filters or cooler pads, install an attic fan, and check out how your insulation is doing… especially if critters have been walking around up there and squashing it down… which is a whole other problem!

The Fix-it Professionals are ready to help! Read on for our latest special.