Summer is an especially good time to carry out repair and improvement work around the house. You get more daylight hours, so you can spend more time on this work without relying on electrical lighting — and rain is unlikely to start falling and consequently impede your efforts.
Still, what exactly should you do in your home in the summer? Here are some good ideas…
Building a shed
If you often find yourself struggling to find your lawn equipment when you really need it, you could provide some convenient storage space for it — in the form of a shed.
Before you do assemble one, though, keep in mind that building codes and ordinances relevant to shed-building can vary by location and so should be checked in advance.
Applying a fresh lick of paint
“I think painting is one of the best DIY projects because it can be easily corrected if you make any mistakes,” Chicago-based real estate developer Bill Samuel has told Better Homes & Gardens.
Painting is a task often best reserved for the summer, as warm weather can help recently-applied paint to cure properly and last longer.
Cleaning or replacing gutters
As winter weather can be punishing on your gutters, it would be wise for you to check the condition of these in the summer.
Those gutters might simply need emptying, which can be done with a ladder, a hose, a bucket, a gutter cleaning attachment, a gutter scoop and heavy-duty gloves. However, a certain amount of replacement guttering could be in order.
Having the roof repaired
Obviously, a roof can only be repaired if it is damaged in some fashion. It is not always clear when a roof has indeed incurred damage, but Family Handyman provides a list of “silent signs that your roof is failing” — like ceiling stains and dirty, clogged soffits.
Online, it’s easy to search for local roofing companies — for example, if you need a roof repair in the North East.
Installing interior shutters
This is an easier job than you might have realised. As This Old House explains, interior shutters “attach to a thin frame that either sits inside the window opening or around the outside of the casing.”
Once those shutters are in place, they can help to prevent the oppressive heat of a modern summer from making the inside of your home feel like an oven.
Laying natural cork flooring
This type of flooring has numerous merits — including resilience, durability and great visual appeal! Cork flooring can also be installed in just one afternoon — and provide you with a pleasantly warm surface underfoot as you make your way across the room.
Re-caulking the bathroom
It’s not hard to spot ageing caulk, due to its brown-tinged edges and, if it has been left for a particular while, brittle and cracked skin.
In a bathroom, caulk can be around a sink, lining a bathtub or covering a shower stall’s joints. It’s reassuring, then, that fresh caulk is inexpensive to source as well as straightforward and time-effective to apply.
