Beat this summer’s intense heat by getting your home’s act together now

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Published Date 6/5/2024

It’s coming. The kind of heat dramatized in an old episode of Twilight Zone, where the outside temperature is extreme and people are wondering just how much higher it can go.

Realtor.com’s Julie Gerstein warns that while the summer of ’23 was the hottest on record, a new report suggests that summer 2024 will be even more sweltering. “According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we experienced the 11th straight month of record-breaking hot temperatures. Based on its predictive models, the NOAA believes there’s a 61% chance that this will be the hottest year in data history.”

She says thanks to an expected El Niña weather pattern this summer creating cooler temperatures across the Pacific, the West might avoid some extremes. The rest of the country likely won’t be so lucky.

Gerstein reports that temperatures are predicted to top out at above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in several cities across the South this year, including Las Vegas (expected to average 105), with Phoenix, Dallas and Tucson should hover around 100 degrees. San Antonio, Fresno, Orlando and Miami are likely to have temperatures hanging in the mid-90s.

Extreme temperatures have led to a surge of heat-related deaths in recent years, with Phoenix experiencing a 1000% increase in heat-related mortalities in the past 10 years — 645 of them in 2023 alone.

We know how heat affects humans, but what about damage to houses? Gerstein offers Realtor’s 2024 climate risk study that found that nearly a third of all homes in the U.S. are located in areas that are prone to extreme heat exposure.That means dehydrated soil that can impact the security of your foundation. A weak foundation can lead to cracks in drywall and sloping floors. Outdoor paint might bubble and chip.

“If you live in an area with sweltering daytime temperatures and cooler evening temperatures, wood flooring and siding can contract in the heat and then expand in the cold. Over time, this can result in costly damage,” says Gerstein.

The brunt of extreme heat is felt on your home’s roof, where shingles can crack or melt in high temperatures, and tar roofs can bubble and dissolve. Heat may warp floorboards. And depending on the humidity levels where you live, excessive heat could lead to mold or mildew problems as hot air gets trapped in your home.

If heat hasn’t hit your town yet, now is the time to ensure your air-conditioning system is happy and healthy. Clean and replace your AC filters and if you have an outdoor condenser system, make sure to clean its coils to optimize airflow.

As for heat-proofing your home and getting the most out of your AC system, consider treating your roof with a heat-protectant reflective coating. Consider installing a continuous ventilation system in your attic (if you have one) to keep your house from trapping heat. Proper insulation can help keep your house cool as well.

A few simple things you can do? Keep your window shades down and curtains drawn and plant shrubs and trees that can prevent the light from getting in. Better yet? Build your own swamp cooler — a device that dates to ancient Egyptian times. Swamp coolers can drop the temperature anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees for a fraction of the cost of running AC.

Realtor, TBWS

All information furnished has been forwarded to you and is provided by thetbwsgroup only for informational purposes. Forecasting shall be considered as events which may be expected but not guaranteed. Neither the forwarding party and/or company nor thetbwsgroup assume any responsibility to any person who relies on information or forecasting contained in this report and disclaims all liability in respect to decisions or actions, or lack thereof based on any or all of the contents of this report.