Winter is probably the last season one thinks of when planning home renovations, especially when it comes to exterior remodeling projects. It’s often cold, wet, and it gets dark early. However, winter home improvement and remodeling projects have a number of potential benefits. Some of these winter construction benefits include lower demand for contractors, significant cost savings when compared to the summertime, and preparation of the home for harsher weather.
Several kinds of exterior remodeling projects can be advantageous when undertaken during the winter. For example, garage door installation and maintenance, exterior home painting, as well as marine construction projects make great winter home remodeling projects.
Garage Door Installation and Maintenance
Garage door installation and maintenance makes a great winter home remodeling project for several reasons. First, there’s lower demand for these services during the winter months, meaning installations are typically easier and cheaper to schedule than warmer times of year. Second, new garage doors become energy-efficient home improvements when insulated with materials like polyurethane or expanded polystyrene. This makes them better at keeping heat inside the home, reducing energy loss by up to 71%. In addition to protecting the temperature inside your home, a newer garage door keeps everything inside (your vehicles and any other belongings in the garage) protected from the harsh winter elements.
Of course, a garage door protects your belongings, but it can’t do that very well without proper maintenance, which includes several elements. One such element is attention to the weatherstripping. Make sure to inspect the weatherstripping on your garage door regularly to prevent cold air and moisture from penetrating the door. Another aspect of garage door maintenance in the winter is making sure all mechanisms are lubricated properly, since the cold can cause them to stiffen. These inspections should also be done regularly, and silicone-based lubricants should be applied as necessary.
Exterior Home Painting
Another great winter home remodeling project is exterior home painting, which also has numerous benefits when performed in the winter. For instance, cooler temperatures and less humidity lead to better, more consistent paint applications. Proper coats of paint with these consistent applications also provides significant insulation, preventing things like moisture and unwanted critters from getting inside your home.
However, there are some potential issues to be aware of during winter exterior painting. These issues may arise regarding paint adhesion or curing times in low temperatures, but they are easily fixed by using certain paints designed for these low temperatures. Some of these paints include BEHR MARQUEE Exterior Paint & Primer, or Sherwin-Williams Resilience Exterior Acrylic Latex.
There are also a few winter exterior painting considerations to make, including the surface temperature of the home’s exterior, and using the appropriate primers in the appropriate locations (usually any bare/exposed areas to ensure paint coverage.) Additionally, schedule painting projects for days with higher winter temperatures so the paint cures properly.
Marine Construction Projects
There are also numerous marine construction projects suitable as winter home remodeling endeavors. Marine construction can include docks, pilings, boat lifts, and more, all of which make a great winter home improvement task for several reasons. One such reason is the reduced impact on local wildlife, since many aquatic animals hibernate or are less inclined to come out during the winter. Additionally, water levels are lower in the winter, which allows easier access to the water-based structures that will be worked on.
As mentioned above, there are numerous projects suitable for winter marine construction. For example, docks, piers (both fixed and floating), and gazebos all benefit from the improved access offered by lower water levels. Meanwhile, seawall installation and repair during the winter minimizes disruption to the delicate aquatic ecosystems around them.
Comprehensive Home Exterior Maintenance
When performing winter home remodeling, there are several exterior maintenance tasks you’ll want to consider, as well. These tasks emphasize the importance of a well-maintained exterior in preventing winter damage to the home. Tasks to include in your winter home exterior maintenance plan include gutter cleaning/repair, roof inspections/maintenance, and sealing windows/doors for energy efficiency. Gutter and roof maintenance are just as important in the winter to prevent ice damage, while sealing windows and doors leads to significant energy savings.
Financial and Environmental Benefits
Of course, there are numerous financial winter construction benefits to your home remodeling efforts. As mentioned above, less demand for exterior work in the wintertime means more contractor availability and lower costs for their work. Moreover, proper sealing and insulation of your windows and doors keeps more heat inside your home. These energy-efficient home improvements lead to lower utility bills and energy costs.
Several environmental advantages also arise from winter home remodeling. Marine construction has less of an impact on aquatic ecosystems, but this is also true in general. Many animals hibernate and/or are less inclined to come out during the winter, so most winter home improvement endeavors have a minimal impact on local ecosystems. This makes winter home renovations an eco-friendly practice that can be used to reduce impact on the local environments.
Wrapping Up
It’s clear winter home maintenance projects have a myriad of benefits when compared to undertaking the same projects during other times of year. For example, installing a new garage door in the winter with proper insulation can improve your home’s energy efficiency by up to 71%. Exterior home painting during the winter’s cooler temperatures and less humidity leads to better, more consistent paint applications, as long as the proper paints are being used. Marine construction can be undertaken with minimal disturbance to local ecosystems. Finally, extra tasks like gutter cleaning and roof inspections can be scheduled to minimize ice and water damage to the home.
If you’re looking to save on these costs, consider scheduling one or more of these exterior home maintenance projects. Doing so leads to a safer, more energy efficient, and aesthetically pleasing home. Of course, make sure to choose the right professionals and materials for any winter projects. Most contractors like to stay busy all year, so making a deal for some winter work can be mutually beneficial.
