Summer tends to be the most popular and best time to take on home improvement projects. 40 million Americans move every year and summer is a great time to make their new home truly theirs. With great weather and an increase in free time, people are more prone to upgrade their homes. If you’ve been thinking about making improvements to your home, now is a perfect time! So pull out that “to-do” list, get in contact with some qualified professionals, and get ready to work. Here are 10 home improvement tips for summer.
Outdoors Improvement Projects
Fix Cracks In The Patio Or Driveway
One big hazard for you or your family’s safety as you walk around your home could be cracks in your patio or driveway. That’s why one of the most important home improvement tips for summer is to get any cracks filled.
If you have experience with using concrete, you may be able to fix the cracks yourself. Any local improvement store around you will surely have the tools you need and professionals you can talk to about the steps. Otherwise, it may be smart to simply hire a professional to refinish your outdoor patio or driveway surfaces. Professionals can bring in machinery like asphalt pavers to ensure that your surfaces are smooth and well finished. Having a crack-free driveway or patio will also increase the curb appeal of your home if you ever intend to sell.
Lawn Care
Because summer usually means spending more time outdoors, one of the best home improvement tips for summer is to do some serious lawn care.
If your lawn has suffered during the fall and winter seasons, the first step in your lawn care should be to start regrowing any empty patches. Look into what the best lawn feed for your specific type of grass is. You may also consider a weed and feed if weeds have started to pop up. If you have pets, make sure you keep them indoors while your lawn is being treated.
Another great lawn care recommendation is to keep your grass a bit taller during summer. Taller grass, between two to four inches, is more resistant to drought if you live in a warmer climate, and can protect new grass seed from getting too much direct sunlight.
Outdoor Hangout Area
With the warmer nights, people often enjoy spending evenings outside with family or friends. Creating a fun outdoor area to be in is one of the most rewarding home improvement tips for summer that you can take on.
If you’ve already got a patio area, the next step to making over your outdoor area is to provide seating. Check out your local furniture store for some outdoor chair and table options. If you plan on having a fire for roasting smores or sitting around in the evening, a cast stone fireplace is a great, safe option. Just be sure to have a professional install it to make sure it’s up to all the safety requirements and will be a safe place for your family to spend time this summer.
Replace Damaged Siding Or Roofing
Fall and Winter are known for having tougher weather conditions. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail can cause damage to the exterior of your home. That’s why one of the best home improvement tips for summer is to replace any damaged siding or roofing.
Damaged siding can allow moisture to gather in between it and your house which can cause rot, mold, and mildew. This not only damages the siding, but it can also cause damage to your house that requires more than just a new siding panel to fix. Loose siding panels can also increase your heating and cool costs as it can damage your home’s insulation. Replacing siding panels during the summer is a great time to do it with less worry of bad weather conditions. New siding can also improve the curb appeal of your home.
The average life span of a roof is about 15-20 years, although during that time it’s likely that individual tiles or shingles could get damaged or fall off. Replacing any damaged roofing is one of the great home improvement tips for summer because you want to get any problems solved before you start to face harsh weather again. New roof shingles require heat to form a weathertight seal, so the warm days of summer are the best time to tackle this project. Damaged tiles or shingles can allow moisture to leak into your home which, as previously discussed with damaged siding, can cause problems to more than just your roof.
General Cleaning On The Exterior Of Your Home
After all the falling leaves in Autumn and the piles of dirty snow in Winter, Summer is a great time to just give the exterior of your home an overall clean. Some of the best home improvement tips for summer have to do with basic cleaning around the exterior of your home.
Start with cleaning out your gutters. Leaves and dirt that have gotten stuck in the gutter can cause backups and water damage, not to mention broken gutters. Take the time to clean out both the gutters and downspouts to protect the exterior of your home from water damage. If you don’t have the tools to do it yourself, there are plenty of local gutter cleaning businesses that can handle the job for you.
The exterior of your home and your patio area could likely benefit from a good power wash. You can either rent a power washer yourself or hire a professional to come clean. Not only will this make the exterior of your home look good as new, but it will also make your outside areas more enjoyable to spend time in this summer.
Weeding and plant care are sometimes the most tedious jobs, but they can often yield the most impressive results as far as an exterior facelift. Take some time to get rid of any weeds that have popped among your flowerbeds or on your lawn. Trim back your shrubs and trees for a more well-kept look. Then stand back and enjoy your spruced up yard. Following these basic home improvement tips for summer will give your home a whole new look.
Indoor Improvement Projects
Reflooring
One big home improvement project you could take on this summer would be re-flooring your home. Summer is a great time to take on a project like this because, with the drier weather, builders and your family are less likely to track in mud and water during the process.
Reflooring can be a big commitment, so before you start ripping up the floor in every room of your house, decide which of your areas need it most. Generally, high traffic areas like a living room or kitchen are a great place to start. These areas can both be finished with laminate flooring laminate flooring and could even be tackled at once with the right flooring service company.
When it comes to your bedrooms and bathrooms, you’ll have to plan these projects more specifically. Because there will likely be days where you won’t have any flooring, you might want to plan some of these projects at the same time as a family getaway. Make sure to find a trustworthy team to replace the carpet and tile in your bedrooms and bathrooms while you’re away. You may even ask a family member or friend to check in on the project just to be safe. Just imagine who great it will be to come home to a beautiful new home with new floors.
Windows
Old windows are a major cause of issues with insulation and increased utility bills. During the winter, heat can escape through any bad sealings, and during the summer, heat can come into the house the same way. Some homeowners try to solve the problem themselves by caulking around the window, but this isn’t always a long term solution. If you are having problems with your windows, summer is the best time to get professionals out to solve the problem.
While you are getting any sealing issues fixed, you may look into getting a completely new window altogether. There are tons of great options for energy-efficient windows, and especially if you live in an older home, now is the best time to replace them. If you have any windows that don’t open properly, fixing them could also be a huge benefit to your safety in case you ever need to escape out of your window in an emergency. New windows are also the perfect excuse to get some new curtains to decorate your area and get a fresh looking space.
Bathroom Makeover
Another great idea for home improvement tips for summer is to take on a bathroom makeover. Your bathroom is another area in the home that can almost always benefit from some sort of makeover, whether big or small.
Summer is generally the “off-season” for contractors, so you may have an easier time getting in touch with a higher rated professional. This could also mean that they’ll get your project done sooner. Summer is also a great time for bathroom remodeling because, as suggested with a flooring makeover, you can take a vacation while the project is being done. That way you don’t have to be home listening to the loud sounds of machinery, rather on a beach listening to the waves roll in.
If you aren’t ready to take on a full bathroom makeover, a great place to start is with the plumbing. It’s a good idea to keep pipes and other plumbing up to date as one small leak in an old pipe can cause a huge problem. Get a plumber to come out and check everything over to make sure you have no issues. And if there are any problems that need to be fixed, summer is the best time to get it done.
Attic Makeover
An uncommon but also very valuable makeover you can do this summer is in your attic space. Attics generally get left to gather dust and forgotten boxes of knick-knacks. Why not make it a more useable space?
An attic can be a great storage space as long as its properly finished and insulated. If you have a team of professionals come to makeover your attic, they will likely do an asbestos inspection asbestos inspection to make sure that the area is safe for both the workers and your family. As long as there is no asbestos, the workers will be able to makeover your area however you need.
If there is enough space, you may even consider turning your attic into a bonus room. It can be a fun place for kids to play or even a small home movie theatre. Talk with your local contractor about what options work best for your space. Whatever changes you make will likely add to the value of your home for both you and any future buyers.
Kitchen Makeover
Summer is a great time to look into doing a kitchen makeover. A kitchen is one of the highest traffic areas in the home and can always benefit from a remodel or makeover. That’s why one of the best home improvement tips for summer is to take on a kitchen makeover.
A kitchen makeover doesn’t always have to consist of ripping out all of the cabinets and counters and starting from scratch. Even a few small changes can have a big impact. Start by looking for areas where you can make small changes. Simply changing out the hardware and light fixtures can have a big impact. If your kitchen is in need of more storage solutions, you may consider a bigger makeover to the cabinets. Contact a local kitchen remodeler to talk about some potential ideas to increase your storage options and get a new modern look while you’re at it.
In Conclusion
With these home improvement tips for summer, you’ll have a full summer giving your home an upgrade. Just don’t forget to sit back and enjoy the beauty of your work once you’re projects are done.
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