Most beach houses are not year-round residences. Instead, they are used heavily for a few summer months and then closed down when the temperatures drop and the days get shorter.
Every year the same cycle repeats itself where the owner arrives at a house that has taken a bit of a beating from a harsh coastal winter and corrosive salty air, only to have to make a bunch of repairs before closing it down again. But, you can protect your beach house and minimize its off-season damage.
3 Quick Tips For Weather Proofing Your Beach House
While it’s impossible to protect your beach home from all forms of wear and tear while you’re not around, you can limit a good amount of it by taking a few precautions.
Don’t Feed The Salt Monster.
It’s no secret that the air near the ocean has a much higher salt content than the air more inland. That means you need to pay particular attention to any materials in your home that corrode easily.
One of the more common culprits is steel. If you have any steel hardware on your house, like window frames or door hinges, seriously consider replacing them with their aluminum or aluminum-coated counterparts.
Seal The Deal
There’s nothing that will ruin a beach house faster than poor sealing. Allowing rainwater, floodwater, and even moisture from foggy evenings to seep into your home through poorly sealed doors and windows are asking for trouble.
Every year both when you open the house for the season and when you shut it down, make sure your home is thoroughly treated to fix any potential trouble areas that will allow the outdoors into it unexpectedly.
Get Help
The easiest way to keep your beach house in tip-top shape all year round, no matter how far away your primary residence is, is to enlist the help of another person or company. If you live nearby, you can also make monthly checkups during the down season and fix any small problems before they become big ones. But, if you don’t live nearby, you still have options.
Your beach community is sure to have people who make their living by taking care of other people’s beach properties. For a fee that’s much less than what you would have to pay to repair severe damage, you can instead hire the services of one of those people. It’s nice to have a pair of eyes on your home for when you’re not there, even if they don’t need to make any repairs.
In Conclusion
By taking a few simple steps, you can assure your beach house will be in respectable condition for when you arrive at the beginning of every summer. Doing what you can to protect against the salty air and excess moisture will not only make your life easier, it will save you money in the long run as repairs due to neglect can be very costly.
And, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help if you cannot physically visit your home as often as you would like.
