How To Prevent Heat-Related Home Damage

As heat damage is often not covered by most homeowners' insurance plans, it is typically your responsibility as the homeowner to protect your property. If you allow the damage to your home to get too severe, you will be responsible for any potential repairs that may be required.

Here are some suggestions for reducing heat-related property damage before it occurs:

Beginning with the Paint

Preventive actions against solar damage should begin with the home's exterior layer. The exterior walls should be painted with high-quality, long-lasting paint. Thus, they will be able to endure the typical cracking caused by heat exposure.

The use of paint or coating with weatherproofing technology is recommended. These paints will be more resistant to sun and water damage and other natural elements. While high-quality paints involve a bigger initial expenditure, they will save you money in the long term by preventing heat damage repairs.

Protect Wooden Structures

A specific coating should be applied to prevent sun damage to wooden structures in the front or back yard. When wood is exposed to UV radiation, it can begin to splinter, crack, and fade. Porches, decks, and sheds regularly exposed to the sun will be less prone to these threats if they are covered with protective material.

Guard the Interior

The interior of a home is always susceptible to sun damage. Even if the walls filter away most of the heat, sunlight can still reach the furnishings and personal things through the windows.

Installing protective window films can avoid interior solar damage. The seal will keep ultraviolet rays from entering, decreasing the sun's glare and heat and preventing color fading.

Maintain Wood Floors

The internal wood or plank flooring is equally vulnerable to damage as the exterior porch. Consequently, adding a stain or finishing treatment to your flooring is advised to avoid fading from sunlight entering the windows.

Cover Wall Art

Like protecting your flooring, you should protect your wall decorations, such as paintings and photographs. These objects can be protected from color fading through a frame with UV-resistant glass. A sealant can be sprayed on artwork to provide an additional layer of protection.

Select Furniture Skillfully

When furnishing a home, it is important to choose colors and materials carefully. Lighter hues will age best for upholstered lounge chairs and sofas that will be exposed to sunlight. On the contrary, darker colors will fade more noticeably.

If you are not decorating a new home and have existing items of different hues, you can either attempt to seal them with a UV-protective spray or simply replace them.

In Summary

Heat damage from the sun is extremely predictable throughout the summer months but also difficult to avoid. As a homeowner, it can be frightening and aggravating to hear that your insurance company would most likely not protect you if your property is damaged.

Instead, you will need to take matters into your own hands to avoid paying for heat-related damages in the future. This can only be accomplished by paying close attention to the interior and exterior of your property and taking all precautions to prevent its occurrence and spread.

Realizing that homeowner's insurance does not cover sun damage can be disappointing, but if you fulfill your responsibilities as a homeowner, you won't have to worry about it.

In the future, when you don't have to pay for the heat-related damages you were able to avert before they occurred, the tiny amount of effort required to implement the aforementioned preventative measures will yield a substantial return.