If you are building a home, there are many things that you need to keep in mind. One of the best and most important things you can do for the longevity of your home is to ensure that it is resilient to damage. Ensuring the resilience of your home early will help you to minimize damage and maintenance in the future while making sure your home will be exactly what you need.
Build a Stronger Foundation
The foundation is the key to the strength and longevity of any home. Without a strong foundation, a home is more susceptible to all kinds of damage and can become unsafe and unlivable. That’s why making the foundation of your home as strong as possible is essential to its ability to withstand anything that happens in your area. A foundation needs to be a support for your home, watertight, and a barrier against groundwater that may be in your area. Making sure that your foundation does an exceptional job at each of those things is what will give your home the base it needs to last more than a lifetime.
Choose a Solid Roof Material
Next to the foundation, the roof is the most important aspect of your home that can prevent potential damage. Roofs take on a lot of strain from the elements and having a solid roof can keep your home safe from dangerous weather and prevent any major damage. Many roofing materials can help you keep your home safe. Choosing one that you like can help you to keep your home in great condition. From asphalt shingles to a metal roof, cedar shingles, or even concrete tiles, there are lots of options that can give your roof the strength and style that you need.
Pick Quality Siding
The siding of your home is what protects the exterior from weather and keeps the outside elements out. That means that choosing high-quality siding will make a huge difference in the safety and longevity of your house. Wood siding is an attractive option for many people, but it must be maintained appropriately so that it doesn’t succumb to the elements. If you are looking for something that requires a little less maintenance, metal or vinyl siding are great options that are also high quality. Fiber cement siding is also a great option that is incredibly strong and low maintenance as well.
Sealcoat Your Driveway
The driveway is a part of a home that is often neglected, but keeping it taken care of can make your home look and function better. Sealcoating will extend the life of your asphalt by protecting it from the elements. When your driveway is protected, you can count on it as a place that will keep your cars housed and off the street when you are at home. Once you’ve moved into your home, don’t forget about driveway maintenance. Cleaning your driveway and repairing cracks when they do occur will keep it looking nice and working well.
Use Durable Flooring
Inside your home, the floors tend to take a lot of traffic and potential damage. Making sure to choose durable flooring types can help you to prevent damage and keep it looking great. There are many options of durable flooring and within those options, you can choose a style that looks exactly the way you would like it to. Vinyl, wood, cork, and laminate are all durable choices that come in a variety of styles and price points so you can find something that matches your style and your budget. You may even want to choose different kinds of flooring for different parts of your home depending on how you use them.
Take Care of Your HVAC
The HVAC system is one of the most important parts of your home and making sure that it is cared for appropriately can help your home to stand up to the damage that can occur over time. Even just taking small steps like changing your air filter will help to prevent damage to your HVAC and keep the air in your home cleaner and free of toxins. Giving your HVAC the regular care that it needs will help you to prevent damage and minimize any damage that may occur.
Keep an Eye Out for Damage
Most damage starts small, so one thing that you can do to improve the resilience of your home is just to keep a lookout for damage. Catching damage early will protect your home and stop problems from progressing to dangerous or expensive levels. Inspect your roof after each winter to make sure it didn’t take any damage over that rough season and check your home for water damage when there is heavy rain or any major weather issues. Incorporating regular inspections into your life will help you to catch any damage early and give your home the best chance to stay in top form for many lifetimes.
Stay on Top of Regular Maintenance
Every home requires regular maintenance and staying on top of it will improve the resiliency of your home. Making sure to replace broken bits of siding can prevent damage from growing or getting worse. Fixing leaks and drippy faucets as they occur will prevent water damage. Even just staying on top of your spring cleaning can help your home to avoid damage and make it easier to spot and fix if it does occur. The more you do to ensure your home has the proper care it requires, the more its resilient materials will be able to help it to stay in good shape throughout the years.
Making your home resilient to damage is a big step that can go a long way towards keeping your home looking and working great. By investing in quality materials and quality maintenance, you can keep your home a safe, comfortable, and damage-free place where you can spend your life.