Summer is nearly here in Denver and with it comes the typical hot days punctuated by afternoon thunderstorms. Summer is also the best time to get your house painted, and right now is the best time to prepare either for an update of your home’s exterior or for utilizing your outdoor areas more. The season of cookouts, barbeques, and picnics is almost here. To take full advantage of your outdoor surroundings and protect your exterior from the heat and sun, prepare with these three steps:

Step 1: Prepare for the Heat

Summers on the Front Range are hot and dry, aside from fast-moving and sudden storms. Getting your home set up to stay cool and protected from the sun should be your first step.

Top priority should be making sure you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg to keep your house cool. There are many ways to do this, of course; if you have an air conditioning unit, it’s best to start with that. You may have had to use it a few days already by now, but in the summer, especially if your home gets an inordinate amount of sunlight, your AC will be working overtime. A few ways to minimize your cooling bills are to update your insulation (which will keep cold air in and warm air out), make sure your attic has proper ventilation with fans or vents, and doing a quick inspection and cleaning of your AC unit.

Step 2: Protect Your Outdoor Spaces 

Spring is the perfect time to perform some maintenance on your outdoor spaces. Inspect your deck to see if it needs to be deep-cleaned and/or re-stained. Install an umbrella, awnings, or other features that will provide you and your guests with a shady respite all summer long.

Now is also a good time to check out your exterior paint coat. Touch up any faded or flaking spots. If you find yourself running out of paint to fix the touch-ups, it might be time for a new paint job for the entire exterior. Paint not only protects the materials underneath, but it also helps reflect heat away from your home, keeping your interior spaces cooler.

Step 3: Get Party Ready

Now is the time for touch-ups and stocking up on everything you’ll need to entertain outdoors this summer. If you know you’ll be having many get-togethers outside this season, why not get the disposable plates and cutlery now? Stash them away in a handy place so you won’t have to buy everything for the barbeque the day of.

Another thing many people don’t inspect until the day of the party is their grill. Don’t forget to clean your grilling utensils and the rack itself before you break it out for action. If you cook outside with propane, make sure you have enough in the tank.

Sit Back and Relax 

There are, of course, a million things you could do to improve your exterior and outdoor areas before summer. The most important thing is to plan ahead and create a checklist for yourself. For more suggestions for summer prep, contact Ireland’s Finest Painters.