Summer Is the Best Time for These 6 Home Improvements

The clock is ticking! Don't let these idyllic, warm-weather days slip by without scheduling one or more of these seasonal home repair and renovation projects.

If you’ve been thinking about tackling some home improvement projects this summer, don’t delay! The dog days of summer are heading our way, and before you know it the cold weather will be coming back. These all-too-brief warmer months are ideal for outdoor projects like updating your home’s exterior, and they’re great for any work that requires a well-ventilated work space. If you let these nice days slip by, colder temperatures at the end of the season could hamper your efforts—or, in some cases, even negatively affect the quality of the improvements. Fortunately, with help from qualified professionals, you can get through your home improvement to-do list without sacrificing all your summer Fridays! Here are just a few home improvement projects that are tailor-made for summer.

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1. Replacing Windows
Old, drafty windows are a major cause of heat loss during the winter months. They result in higher heating costs and lower levels of indoor comfort. If last year’s annual autumn ritual of caulking around the windows didn’t do much to stop the chill from seeping through, it’s probably time to call in the professionals for a window replacement. Dave Lincon, Director of Product Management and Business Development for Sears Home Services, says, “Our team simplifies window replacement for our customers. From the initial assessment of a homeowner’s needs to measuring, ordering, and installation, we handle it all.”

2. Re-Siding Your Home’s Exterior
If your home’s siding is starting to flake and peel just a few years after a paint job, the siding may be past the point where a mere cover-up will suffice. Old siding is notorious for developing rot, mold, and mildew over time, all of which make it difficult for the siding to hold paint. Worse yet, loose or missing boards reduce your home’s weather resistance and contribute to higher heating and cooling costs. Fortunately, as with most exterior updates, the reliably warm weather of summer provides the best time to re-side.

Nothing increases curb appeal quite like new siding. The right style can transform a tired-looking house into the best-looking home on the block—and Sears Home Services is committed to offering styles to suit every homeowner. Customers can choose from a wide variety of colors, textures, and styles, from traditional horizontal board siding to siding that mimics wood-look shakes or even scalloped shingles. “We also offer high-quality, durable vinyl siding that comes with closed-cell foam backing for enhanced insulation,” Lincon says. “And, we warranty our siding against fading.” You can trust that a siding project completed this summer will give your home a sharper appearance and offer structural benefits to boot.

3. Swapping Out Your Entry Door
No matter how much time you spend pruning the hedges and mowing the yard, your home’s curb appeal will hold steady at mediocre if an eyesore of a front door detracts from the otherwise tidy appearance. Cracked, warped, or weathered entry doors not only look dismal, they often frustrate homeowners by sticking when opened or closed, or letting in drafts through a loose seal in the jamb. Sometimes, it’s a hassle just locking them! If you’re struggling with an entry door that’s seen better days, take care of it this summer so you’ll have a new door in place before the weather turns cold.

4. Refacing Cabinets
If you’re tired of your worn-out-looking kitchen but you like the configuration of your kitchen cabinets—and they’re in good condition—refacing might be the right choice for you. Cabinet refacing involves replacing cabinet doors and drawer fronts and installing matching veneer on the face of the cabinet bases. When the project is done, your kitchen will look fresh and new at a fraction of what it would have cost to completely replace the cabinets. The best part of scheduling these major kitchen updates in the summer is that the project will be finished before holiday cooking and entertaining starts in earnest!

5. Installing New Countertops
While installing new countertops seems like a project that’s fine to do any time of the year, it’s actually a smart one to schedule well before the first frost. When you consider the fact that installation professionals need to haul the old countertop out of your home and carry in the new (and often very heavy) countertop materials, you can see that icy sidewalks and frigid temperatures are not ideal for all this indoor-outdoor foot traffic.

6. Replacing a Roof
Contending with a leaky roof or missing shingles? The average lifespan of a roof is 15 to 20 years, according to Lincon. The warmer months are the best time for a roofing project, because new shingles require heat in order to form a weathertight seal. In fact, wintry conditions and reroofing simply don’t mix. Here again, Sears Home Services can make the process easier. Homeowners can choose from budget-friendly three-tab shingles, super-laminate shingles, or architectural shingles as well as a variety of other shingle options. Sears professionals handle everything from the initial roof assessment to permit-pulling and all installation services.

To protect homeowners from the possibility that some damaged roof areas could be overlooked, Sears Home Services installs shingles directly onto the roof deck only and does not do roof overlays, which involve adding a layer of shingles over an existing layer. “It’s just too risky,” Lincon says. “If you don’t tear off the existing layer of shingles, you can’t determine the condition of the existing roof deck.” During tear-off of the existing shingles, if any rot or damage to the roof deck is found, Sears Home Services repairs the damage before installing the new shingles to safeguard the roof’s structural integrity for years to come.

This post has been brought to you by Sears Home Services. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

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