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Are you worried about a high summer energy bill this season? It’s no surprise, as energy bills are skyrocketing. In fact, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have some of the highest average energy bills in the country. But the good news is that summer exterior home remodeling and maintenance services can help you potentially avoid dramatic energy bill spikes, keeping you comfortable with more money in your wallet.
Preparing your home for summer can bring peace of mind by preventing heat damage and creating a home that stays cool while turning heads with beautiful curb appeal! Our summer exterior home remodeling maintenance checklist is here to help.
This Summer Exterior Home Remodeling Maintenance Checklist Will . . .
✅ Show you the warning signs of energy loss in your home
✅ Help you save money on your summer cooling billa
✅ Boost your curb appeal with a refreshed exterior
✅ Highlight projects with the best return on investment
✅ Discover the most effective exterior remodeling technologies for energy savings
✅ Insight on how to protect your home from summer moisture damage
Why Is Summer A Busy Time For Home Remodeling In New England?
Summer is the peak season for exterior home remodeling because of favorable weather conditions, longer daylight hours, and dry conditions that make outdoor construction work more efficient. Many homeowners also prefer to complete exterior home renovations during summer to avoid disrupting their homes during harsh winter months, and contractors can work more consistently without weather delays.
If you live in New England and you’re looking for summer home maintenance tips to improve your home’s exterior while maximizing performance, consider the following:
Best Home Improvement Projects to Start in the Summer
Summer presents the perfect opportunity to tackle exterior home remodeling projects while weather conditions are optimal. Addressing specific pain points now can prevent bigger problems and higher costs down the road.
Here’s where to start based on common summer home issues:
✅ Skyrocketing Energy Bills? Install energy-efficient windows
✅ Peeling or Damaged Siding? Upgrade to protective, moisture-resistant siding
✅ Hot, Stuffy Attic? Improve roof ventilation systems
✅ Leaky Roof? Install a new GAF roofing system with advanced leak protection
✅ Drafty Entry Door? Replace with insulated options
✅ Fading or Cracked Exterior? Install durable James Hardie or vinyl siding
✅ Poor Curb Appeal? Plan today’s most popular exterior updates
What is the 30% Rule for Renovations?
The 30% rule suggests that homeowners should not spend more than 20-30% of their home’s current value on renovations to ensure they don’t over-improve for their neighborhood. This rule helps maintain a good balance between improving your home’s comfort and functionality while preserving resale value.
For exterior home remodeling projects, this means prioritizing improvements that offer both immediate benefits and long-term value.
Which Exterior Renovations Add The Most Value To Your Home?
Based on the latest industry data from Remodeling’s Cost vs Value 2024, the highest-value exterior renovations include:
✅ Steel entry doors – 236.2% return on investment
✅ Manufactured stone veneer – 153.2% return on investment
✅ Fiber cement siding – 121% return on investment
✅ Vinyl siding – 118.3% return on investment
✅ Fiberglass grand entry doors – 97.7% return on investment
✅ Vinyl windows – 85.8% return on investment
These improvements not only enhance curb appeal but also improve energy efficiency, which is increasingly important to today’s buyers.
Professional installation by qualified contractors ensures maximum return on investment.
Protect Your Vinyl Siding from Heavy Summer Rains and Moisture Damage
Vinyl siding is a critical component to keeping your home protected and dry during New England’s summer rains. Check your home’s siding for these signs of performance shortfalls.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the best way to control mold growth is to control moisture. This means that you will need to make necessary repairs to siding panels that are not properly secured. If your home’s siding is rotting or old, replacement may be the best option for you. Choose a vinyl siding company (or a James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor) that offers professional installation, which decreases the chances of moisture destroying the interior or exterior of your home.
Other reasons that you’ll need to replace your siding this season include:
✅ Termite damage and infestations. Since vinyl siding is not an organic product, it does not serve as a food supply for termites.
✅ Cladding does not include housewrap, an essential moisture-proof barrier to keep your home protected against moisture damage. It also adds an element of defense from snow and ice during the winter months.
✅ High energy bills, which indicates that your home’s thermal envelope is not maintaining a comfortable indoor air temperature.
✅ Loose siding is a sign that the installation is failing, making it easy for moisture to make its way behind the panels and lead to mold growth.
Finding Professional Siding Contractors Near Me
When planning your exterior home renovations, it’s essential to work with experienced vinyl bor James Hardie siding contractors near me who understand New England’s unique climate challenges. Professional James Hardie siding installers bring proper installation techniques that maximize your home’s protection against moisture and temperature fluctuations. Quality hardie siding contractors provide warranties and use proven installation methods that stand up to our region’s demanding weather conditions.
Coastal Windows & Exterior is an award-winning James Hardie siding contractor! We are two-time winners of the James Hardie Service Excellence Award. Furthermore, we are the only woman-owned siding company in the United States to earn the James Hardie presidents Club award and the only company in New England with this title.
Roofing: Safeguard Against Summer Leaks & Mold in the Attic
There are plenty of good reasons to replace your roof, but why is it so important to have a high-performance roof in the summer?
When your roof starts to fail during the summer season, you’ll start noticing problems such as:
✅ Your attic is cool. While you want your home to feel cool in the summer, this isn’t the case for your attic. In fact, The US Department of Energy indicates that the temperature of your attic can vary by 50 degrees in the height of summer, depending on the roofing material that you choose.
✅ High energy bills. This is especially true when your roof is not properly ventilated.
✅ Your attic is missing ventilation, especially in the ridge and soffit vents. Your home needs intake and outtake vents so it can properly breathe. This keeps air circulating through the attic space as it maintains a consistent temperature.
✅ Moisture buildup in the attic, and blackened wood or mildew growing on the rafters. This is a sign that your home’s ventilation needs improving.
✅ Rusted nails in your attic can also indicate that there is a moisture problem with your roof.
✅ Attic insulation is matted or flat. You may find that that moisture is making its way through your roof.
✅ Pooling water in eaves and valleys. This can cause a lot of problems in terms of leaks. A self-adhering underlayment protection system helps block out wind-driven rain during any season.
✅Moss or algae growth. These organisms eat through your shingles and can cause extensive damage to your roof’s structural integrity.
Stop Summer Leaks with Professional Roof Installation
When searching for a roof contractor near me, it’s important to choose professionals who understand various roof styles and can recommend the best options for your home’s architecture. A reputable roof installation company near me should offer comprehensive services, from routine maintenance to emergency roof repair when unexpected roof leak situations arise. Having access to emergency roof repair services ensures that summer storms won’t leave your home vulnerable to water damage.
Coastal Windows & Exteriors is a Master elite GAF certified Roofing contractor, as well as a GF Green certified Roofing contractor. Only 2% of roofing companies nationwide earn the Master Elite GAF certification! Trust us for New England roof installation–including both asphalt and metal roofing.
Replacement Windows: Keep Your Home Cool While Lowering Energy Costs
How do you know that your windows are ready for replacement?
These are some of the window replacement signs to consider, along with signs that it’s time to replace your old windows.
✅ Window frames are deteriorating. Wood frames complement the coastal charm of New England homes, but when your old wood frames begin to crumble away or don’t pass the screwdriver test, it’s time to upgrade to vinyl windows.
✅ Energy bills are skyrocketing. As summer approaches and temperatures rise, escalating energy bills are a common sign that it’s time for new window installation.
✅ Drafty windows are inefficient windows. Choose new windows with excellent air infiltration ratings, such as windows with a .01 CFM of air leakage per minute.
✅ Foggy glass panes that won’t wipe away. This is a sign of seal failure in the window, which also means that the windows are not properly insulating your home.
How to Choose Energy Efficient Windows for Your Home
Did you know that energy efficient windows can save you up to $500 each year on your energy bills? However, not all windows are created equal when it comes to energy savings. You can maximize your home’s performance by choosing windows with the following components:
- Dual or triple-pane windows trap air or gas between the layers, providing better insulation.
- Low-E coatings reflect infrared light, keeping heat inside in winter and outside in summer.
- Quality vinyl frames provide better insulation and durability.
- Proper installation ensures that windows are airtight and properly aligned to prevent energy leaks.
- Windows that meet Energy Star 7.0 standards offer high efficiency.
- Argon or Krypton gas fill between panes offer better insulation than air.
- Warm Edge Spacers reduce heat transfer and prevent condensation at the edge of the glass.
Lower Summer Energy Bills with Professional Window Installation Services
Finding reliable window contractors near me ensures your window replacement project is completed with precision and care! Contact us for a free estimate when you choose to remodel outside of house components like windows. Expert installation directly impacts energy efficiency and long-term performance.
Protect Your Home from Moisture Damage and Energy Loss with Entry Doors
An entry door is one of the most important components of maximizing your home’s thermal envelope. Popular entry door materials today include steel, fiberglass, and wood.
Wood entry doors are a common statement piece in a home’s curb appeal here in New England. Wood is a natural conductor, but it is not necessarily the most practical material for New England’s climate. Wood entry doors can begin showing signs of serious damage and performance issues early on if they’re not maintained.
Consider these signs for a new entry door this summer season:
✅ Squeaky, Creaky Hinges: This is a sign that the hinges are wearing down, which is something that WD-40 and elbow grease won’t be able to fix. Failing hinges can make forced entry easier.
✅ Drafts Around the Door: When weatherstripping wears down, unwanted drafts can easily come through the cracks and crevices of the door, and even the surrounding frames. You can usually feel large drafts around the door with your hand, or by simply standing near it on a windy day. You likely won’t notice drafty doors as much during the summer, but if drafts were an issue in the winter, you’ll need to consider this when it comes to overall performance.
✅ Your Door Does Not Properly Lock: This poses a security risk as well as issues with performance, making the door unable to properly seal against the weather.
✅ Rising Energy Bills: Energy costs typically rise during the summer, but when your energy bills keep going up without explanation, your old entry door might be contributing to the problem by allowing energy to escape.
✅ Troublesome Cosmetic Issues: While a crack in the door might seem like a cosmetic issue, the truth is that cracks provide an entry point for pests and drafts. It also leads to wood rot and downgrades the structural integrity of the door.
Do Storm Doors Provide Protection?
A storm door can help protect your wood entry door from the elements, however, you shouldn’t need an additional door to shield your existing entry door from the weather. Not to mention, if you install a storm door over a south-facing door, heat will be trapped inside, which may eventually ruin a wood entry door. An alternative is to install a fiberglass door that is engineered to resist New England’s variable climate.
Get Peace of Mind for Your Summer Energy Bills with Energy Efficient Summer Exterior Home Remodeling Products
Serving New England for over 10 years, Coastal Windows & Exteriors provides New England homeowners with quality exterior home improvement services, including replacement windows, roofing, siding, and entry door installation. Our products are carefully crafted with weather-resistant materials, engineered to protect your home through every season. We are a woman-owned, family-run company dedicated to educating New England homeowners on the importance of exterior maintenance. Contact Coastal Windows & Exteriors today for a free inspection and estimate on your next summer exterior home remodeling project.
