Your house will face the elements for as long as it stands. The weather, the sun, wind and rain will have a detrimental effect on your house. But there are ways you can protect it. You can choose the right materials during construction and repairs, but you could also focus on providing proper maintenance and upkeep to make your home last through the years.
The Most Common Elements that Could Destroy a Home
Water is vital for humans to live, but it is one of the most common causes of home damage. Water can cause rotting and molding, and rainfall can damage your roof, walls and foundation. A leaking pipe may also cause water damage inside the house, and even destroy your walls, floors, and ceilings.
Strong winds can also damage your house. It can blow away shingles or even the entire roof. If strong winds become strong enough to turn into a hurricane, it can destroy an entire house and pluck it sraight out of the foundations.
Snow is beautiful, but if it collects on your roof, driveway, and windows, it could destroy your home. One square foot of snow is over 12 pounds, and they could form ice dams on roof gutters. These ice dams could collect more snow and ice over time which could destroy your roof and gutters.
Extreme temperatures could also affect the humidity in your home. The cold could expand the wooden parts of your home and even break the glass. Continuous exposure to different humidities can also weaken your window sashes.
Heat can target areas like the roof or attic. “Excessive dry heat” can cause shrinking of the house’s foundation. Your house might collapse when the foundation shrinks.
What Homeowners Can Do
Many homeowners use claddings to protect the house from the elements. Cladding protects a house from water damage, but also provides insulation, fire resistance and damage protection form heavily polluted and dusty air. It also provides additional aesthetic value to your home.
Some homeowners use tiles not only for their bathrooms and kitchen, but also for their outdoor areas, walls, and flooring. Providers like Tile Importer Pty Ltd explain that tiles are water and fire-resistant, but they are also easier to clean. Porcelain and ceramic tiles can protect your home from heat and moisture, and they are aesthetically pleasing as well.
Use doubled glazed pane windows. These windows limit condensation and do not break easily under pressure. Even extreme conditions such as wind and rain have little effect on double glazed windows. However, if it does suffer some damage, the only way is to replace the entire windowpane.
Protecting Your Home
Your home is where you feel safe and comfortable, but if you do not give it the proper attention and maintenance, it can be a place where accidents and injuries could occur. You can make your home last for as long as you stay there, but you need to choose the right materials, structural features and upkeep to make your property as strong as it was on the day it was built.
