3 Important Exterior Home Renovation Projects to Start Before Winter
As the cold months approach, many homeowners act fast to ensure their homes are in perfect condition for the long cold season ahead. However, not all homeowners beat the deadlines or manage to effectively renovate their homes in readiness for winter. You don’t have to be one of those caught up in the last-minute rush, eventually suffering the consequences of a late start. Below, we’ll share three important exterior home renovation projects you must start before the first drops of winter rain hit your roof.
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Improve Your Home’s Insulation
One of the biggest challenges you’ll encounter in winter is increased energy consumption due to the rising need for heating. However, with efficient insulation, you can prevent heat escape from your home and reduce the need for continuous heating. This can significantly reduce your HVAC unit’s energy consumption, thus keeping energy bills low even in the colder months. Insulating your home can also boost its value, especially when marketing to environmentally conscious buyers.
Home insulation is a complex project requiring expert home energy auditing to complete. You can hire insulation contractors or home energy auditors to assess heat loss loopholes before sealing them.
Reinforce Your Garage Door Panels
While not so common, hail and thunderstorms are still possible in winter. When they happen, they cause major aesthetic and structural damage to your garage door, adding to the already common garage door opener problems you might be dealing with already. However, you don’t have to suffer the damage of hail and thunderstorms every summer or winter when you can reinforce your door to protect it from these extremes. Here are a few steps you can follow to effectively reinforce your garage door:
- Brace your garage door using a door reinforcement kit: These kits strengthen vulnerable areas of your garage door, making it more resistant to external impact.
- Replace wood frames with metal: If your garage door uses wood door frames, they’ll sooner wear out, rot, and fall off, especially with continuous exposure to wet weather. Replacing the wooden frames with metal can protect your garage door panels and save you time and money for frequent repairs. It can also help alleviate garage door safety risks, keeping everyone safe.
- Use water-resistant paint: Since you want your garage door to look aesthetically pleasing besides protecting your home, you must choose water-resistant paint that won’t fade or warp easily. Applying water-resistant paint will keep your garage looking great, even in the wet winter weather and beyond.
Repair or Replace Siding
You can tell if your siding isn’t in great shape by inspecting closely for cracks, warping paint, or chips. A deteriorated siding can only get worse in the winter season, exposing your home to serious structural compromise and expensive disasters. Chipped or cracked siding can allow moisture into your home, leading to mold growth that further deteriorates your home’s structural integrity.
By scheduling an expert inspection, you can catch these problems early when they’re easily repairable. However, if you’re only lucky to detect them late, scheduling a replacement is much better for everyone’s safety.
Preparing for the next one can be easy and affordable if you've been preparing for previous winters. However, if this is your first preparation in a long time, you may need to start early to spread the costs over a few months and be ready by the onset of winter. Remember to work with trusted professionals for efficient, reliable results.
