Preparing Your Home For the Summer
Goodbye cold feet and icy fingers tips, hello relaxing days and balmy evenings. As the weeks grow warmer plans of fishing, BBQ gatherings and long hot weekends spent on the beach grow closer and closer. Some of you might even go away for the summer holidays with the kids.
Summer is the best for those long waited plans of recreation but believe it or not it’s also the perfect and most inexpensive time for preparing your home for the next 12 months.
The guys and gals at GPS have come up with a small list of things we should consider before we kick back and give in to the holidays.
Water Heater
Water heaters are one of those appliances that often get forgotten, due to the fact that it’s usually somewhere hidden away all by its lonesome. If you and your loved ones have plans to get away make sure you turn your water heater off.
Water heaters constantly work to ensure you don’t miss out on your supply of a good soulful shower, so it’s no surprise that it’s a major contribution to your energy bills. If you’re away for a couple of days or more switch off your water heater and save yourself some holiday money.
Tree Roots
As the temperature heats up and the days become drier tree roots become desperate for nourishment and feel entitled to travel long distances to break through our underground piping. If left undisturbed these destructive little guys will eventually catch toilet paper, grease, fats, grit and other debris leading to serious blockages and structural damage.
Yes you guessed it, goodbye holiday money.
Look out for slow flowing drains, if your toilet lets out a gurgling noise it’s usually due to early stages of blockages to your pipes. The risks become higher if you have an older home.
Tree root removal is one of the most expensive services so be aware, it’s best to be safe than sorry.
Clean out your Gutter
Did you know that gutters play a huge role in protecting your home from water damage? I bet you didn’t, but if you did then you should go and clean out your gutters!!
Gutters are designed to direct excess water away from the home to prevent roof damage and even damage to the foundation of your home. Vermin infestation is also an issue when the gutters become full of rotting vegetation.
That bump in the night is because you didn’t clean the gutters.
Bushfire threat
Living in South Australia what’s not to love about our understated beauty and sophistication. Wide stretched beaches, luscious wine country and architecture abundant in history BUT no rose is without its thorns. Early summer marks the season prone to bushfires, as the days become drier so to our natural surroundings providing scattered fuel, combined with a slight increase in wind speed, while the natural oils in Eucalypt trees promote combustion.
Fuel, oxygen and an ignition source is all that’s needed for a potential fire so cleaning out your yard, cutting back dead branches and ensuring your gutters are free from vegetation that might catch embers are some of the little things we can do to reduce risks.
The CFS and the SA Government websites provide amazing information and tools to help you prepare for bushfire season. We’ve provided links below.
Stay safe and have a wonderful Christmas.
http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/fire_bans_and_ratings/fire_danger_season_dates.jsp
https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/property-and-land/land-and-property-development/building-rules-regulations-and-information/bushfire-risk-assessment-tool
