Summer Tips Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Bruzzese Home Improvements

Homeowners who enjoy taking care of minor DIY projects around the house are often stymied in the summer. For families who take an active role in their homes upkeep, summer brings along with it an intense heat that can be difficult to manage. However, there are solutions to this issue that have been designed by others with similar concerns. With the following tips in mind, homeowners who want to work on some light home improvement projects no longer have to give up because of the heat.

Find Those Pulse Points

This is a straightforward solution that can be immediate relief for individuals. It revolves around the idea of cooling down your “pulse points”. These are areas where the heart beat can be felt as the blood is being pumped throughout the body. For example, the wrists are one such area that should be continuously cooled.

Why the pulse points? These are areas that have a significant impact on the heating and cooling of the body because of how close the blood runs to the surface. By cooling down these specific areas, the chances of persevering through the intense heat increases tenfold. How does one go about cooling these pulse points? Chill your pulse points by running cold water over your wrist for a minute or so. This is a simple solution to a conundrum that tends to perplex and frustrate many home owners and can be repeated as often as necessary.

Wear Light Clothing

The worst decision to ever make while working in the heat is to wear darker shades. The sun gets absorbed more readily by these colors and intensifies the heat. The best course of action is to put on lighter cotton clothing with a more tropical feel. Essentially, the goal should be to wear lighter colors that are made for the heat. These colors will not attract the sun and ensure the body is kept cool.

Stay Hydrated

It sounds obvious but it is frequently overlooked by homeowners working on home improvement projects. Water is a must in these situations as the body is losing fluid constantly through sweat. If the body starts showing signs of dehydration, the heat will worsen the situation. The body will not be able to produce an adequate amount of sweat to cool the body down.

Cool water can help provide short and long term relief. Make sure to drink plenty of water but make sure you don’t flush out all the electrolytes in your system. Snacking on some fruit or veggies during the day should help.

Implementing These Solutions

The solutions listed in this piece are easy to follow and should be implemented by all homeowners working on DIY projects in the heat. Home improvement is already a difficult task and the heat of the summer only makes it harder. If you’ll be working outside this summer, make sure to stay cool!

Guest author Jasmine Bosworth enjoys staying cool while taking care of pesky home projects. In hopes of making the interior of her home more comfortable this summer, she is currently pursuing a complete home window replacement with help from local contractors.

When the end of summer is finally in sight, it is always a good practice to start looking at your home and see what repairs may need to be taken care of. Acting early on repairs can ensure that you are well equipped to handle the dog days of summer, while also preventing potential home calamities in the fall and winter. Here are some summer home repairs you need to make to prevent serious problems for your home.

1. A Leaky Roof

If you notice a small drip from the roof, now is the time to fix it. Roofing repair can be a bit of challenge if you do not know how to get started. It is in your best interest to hire a professional roofing company to inspect your roof and repair problems. Not only do they have the right knowledge, they have all the safety equipment. Falls from roofs can be fatal and seriously injurious.

To find out if you have a roof leak, look at the ceilings. Do you notice any water-stains on your ceiling? Check inside the attic for signs of wetness or water stains rolling down the boards. While you are in the attic, turn off your light and look for any signs of pinholes allowing light to stream through. This will show you exactly where you have some small roofing repairs to make. Check on the insulation level in your attic, as is might be time to add new insulation to help keep your heating and cooling costs under control.

2. Gutter Repairs

Using a ladder, climb up next to the gutters and clean out all the debris. Mud will accumulate in the gutter over the summer as a result of sudden storms and unexpected rainfalls. Wear gloves to protect your hands as you scoop out the mud and debris. You should also use a small hand trowel to scrape out any additional remnants. If you need to, use a hammer to nail the gutters back in place. A lot of homes will have the gutter system start to bend or pull away from the home due to large icicles that pull on the gutter during the winter. Secure the gutters using nails approved for a gutter system. A clogged gutter system can cause flooding problems, as the gutters are unable to properly remove water from the roof and away from the foundation.

3. Service Your HVAC

Ideally, you would call your local HVAC expert in the early spring to come out and service your unit. But for many busy homeowners, your AC unit and its potential problems don’t become readily apparent until summer has arrived. Older units may be hanging on by a thread, and as the temperatures climb, they risk breaking down. Having an expert service your system will let you know to plan on a replacement in the near future. They can also re-charge your Freon so your home will stay nice and cool during the summer. Plan on changing the filter on your HVAC system to keep fresh air circulating in the home.

4. Repair Air Leaks

A simple air leak from a door or window can increase your energy costs. You need to detect air leaks to look for problems that need repairs. Add a new layer of weather-stripping around the windows and doors. If you have an older home, consider having the windows completely replaced. New windows can insulate your home and reduce your energy bill significantly.

Byline: Lana Velasquez is a Texas-based freelance home improvement blogger. Having completed many of these end-of-summer repairs, she is now enlisting help from wood crafters and pavers in Houston to cap off her home renovations this year.

Warm weather means more time spent enjoying the outdoors: picnics, bike rides, hikes and sporting events. While the summer months should be enjoyed to the fullest, outdoor enthusiasts must remember that the sun, with all of the benefits it brings, also has many dangerous effects.

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are at their strongest during the spring and summer; unprotected skin and eyes can be damaged in as little as 15 minutes. While applying sunscreen and wearing sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection is important throughout the year, taking extra sun-safety precautions during the summer is especially important.

Try these simple tips on your next trip to the park, pool, beach or casual stroll outside and learn to enjoy the sun safely:

* Wear sunscreen: While this may seem like a no-brainer, many people still need to be reminded. Keep some handy in your car, purse and around the house. Sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 protects the skin from the sun. Apply one ounce of sunscreen (about the size of a ping pong ball) to all sun-exposed areas of the body. Don’t forget the ears, feet and behind the neck. Because sunscreen can take up to 30 minutes to go into full effect, it’s a good idea to apply it at home before going outside.

* Wear the right shades: Find a pair of sunglasses that will give you adequate UVA/UVB protection so you can reduce the risk of burning your retina, cornea or eyelids. Most of us don’t realize it when sunglasses do not provide adequate UV protection. If you wear sunglasses that feature UV blocking lenses, but the frame does not block sunlight from reaching your eyes from the sides, you are still being exposed to harmful UV rays. For example, Solar Shield Sunglasses feature Advanced UV Protection designs that help protect your eyes through the combination of 100 percent UV protection lenses and frames that wrap around to block stray light.

* Wear protective clothing: Warmer weather inevitably means less clothing, especially when you’re laying by the pool or on the beach. When bathing suit shopping this summer, pick up a few lightweight wraps and cover shirts; they offer much more protection than sunscreen.

* Cover your head: Whether it is a baseball cap or floppy, wide-brimmed hat, find one to protect your head and face during the summer months and wear it. Anything that keeps your sensitive scalp protected is going to lower your chances of skin cancer.

* Avoid the danger times: The Food and Drug Administration says that UVA/UVB rays are at their most dangerous from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Do your best to stay in the shade and stay even more on top of your sun protection during those hours. If you must be in the sun during peak hours, be sure to wear SPF 30 sunscreen and wraparound sunglasses with advanced UV protection and polarized lenses.

If you follow these simple tips, you can look forward to an active, fun and safe summer.

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Tips For Staying Cool This Summer

Home Repairs You Need for the End of Summer

Simple tips to stay safe from the sun while outdoors

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