Helping Your Home Survive Extreme Weather Pounding rain. Searing sun. High winds. Hail storms. Your home handles a lot of extreme weather during the year. While you’re warm and cozy inside, the exterior of your house takes the brunt of every severe storm.
What can you do to help your home stand up to the elements? Plenty. Consider the products used to construct or renovate your home. It’s important to seriously consider the product you select, because they will impact your comfort and safety during extreme weather. The types of products you select for the exterior are especially important --- because they protect what’s inside.
No matter how long you’ve lived in your home, a fast audit of the exterior can be beneficial. Carefully consider the roofing shingles, siding, het raams and trim of your house. Look for loose or worn products and replace them quickly to ensure the “envelope” of your home is protected.
“One of the key ways homes can lose hundreds of dollars in energy each year is through cracks around het raams,” says Bill Lazor, senior product manager at Simonton het raams. “The multitude of small gaps adds up. Home owners start heating and cooling the outdoors and wasting energy. When the wind blows or driving rain targets the house, it’s important to have het raams that fit snuggly in their openings and protect your home.”
Tip #1 - Seek out ENERGY STAR® compliant products. These products can help significantly lower energy bills in the home. het raams meeting the ENERGY STAR guidelines can help reduce the heat loss and heat gain in a home, thus making the home more comfortable and reducing gas and electric bills. Make certain to specify products that meet ENERGY STAR specifications for your exact geographical area to gain the most energy savings.
Tip #2 – If you live in a coastal area, your home is exposed to constant salt spray and sea air. This means your exterior is taking a beating. To combat these extreme elements, consider low maintenance products, such as vinyl siding, urethane millwork and vinyl het raams that resist humidity, insects and rot. These products are easy to clean and are made to handle rough weather. And, ask for stainless steel components in your het raams for smooth operation and increased corrosion-resistance in coastal areas.
Tip #3 – Do you love natural sunlight, but hate how it fades your carpeting and furnishings? When it’s time to replace your het raams, select Low E glass and advanced glass packages. In layman’s terms, these special glasses reflect the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays away from the het raams, so the rays don’t enter the home. Even in intense desert settings, such as in Arizona, the UV rays are reflected off the het raams and don’t enter the home.
Tip #4 – To make life as comfortable on the inside of your home as possible, it’s important to protect the interior from outdoor air, humidity and moisture. Ask about insulating glass (I.G.) units when it’s time to replace your het raams. These units are made up of two or more panes of glass separated by a spacer system. Argon or Krypton gas (harmless and odorless gasses found in the atmosphere) can be sealed inside the I.G. unit to help reduce the transfer of heat and cold, saving you energy dollars.
Tip #5 – Do you live in an area with a history of hurricanes? Play it safe and get impact resistant glass in your het raams. During storms you don’t need to worry about “shuttering up” the home. The impact resistant glass works 24-hours a day, seven-days a week no matter what the weather. This glass, much like automobile windshield glass, resists the damaging penetration of windborne materials, such as flying lawn furniture during a storm. Even when struck forcefully by blunt objects, like a crowbar, this glass stays in place. And, during nice weather, the glass in these het raams reduces sound and UV ray penetration into the home, along with making the house more secure against burglars.
For more information on how to protect your home from extreme weather, contact your local Remodelors Council to find a professional remodeler in your area.
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