Weatherproofing Your Investment Properties – 3 Important Areas to Focus On
Often as the cold weather begins rolling in, people are encouraged to weatherproof their properties, but they are not always given a clear direction on how to go about it.
So, instead of joining the chorus of ‘helpful tips’ that do not provide any sort of instruction on how you can weatherproof your properties to help shield them from the forces of nature and save money on your heating and cooling systems, this is going to be a comprehensive guide on three key areas you should focus on while weather proofing your investment properties.
Of course, we understand the process of weatherproofing your properties can be expensive at times. So, if you want to learn how to unlock the funds you need from your existing investments, click the link below to book a free strategy call today.
Insulating Your Doors and Windows
One of the most common places where homes typically struggle in regard to weatherproofing are the exterior openings. After all, the exterior doors and windows on a property offer a direct path for the comfortable, climate-controlled air to seep out of a property in exchange for weather-dictated outdoor air.
So, how can you go about improving the weather proofing in these areas?
Doors
In order to better prevent outdoor air from entering your properties through the doors, you need to ensure that the door forms a strong seal when it is closed. Through regular use, doors and doorframes begin to wear down as the wood becomes softer and begin to pull away or wear down. While it may not be immediately noticeable, this can create gaps around your doors that allow airflow in and out of the house.
So, when you are looking to improve your weatherproofing on your doors, you should always start by checking if the door and doorframe and still in prime condition. If not, then you may want to consider replacing them.
Another option you can look into is installing a door sweep for underneath your exterior door. This allows for the door to extend lower to the ground without scraping your floors, while also blocking out air that may be coming in from below. These are a relatively cheap option and can wind up doing wonders for preventing excess air flow when it is not necessary.
Windows
When trying to insulate and weatherproof your windows there are three main things you need to look for – a proper seal when the window is closed, adequate weatherproofing around the outside of the window, and proper window insulation.
Whenever you close your windows, the expectation is that airflow is going to stop coming through. However, over time that seal begins to wear down and air and moisture can begin to leak through. Typically this can be quickly resolved by replacing the weather proofing strips or stoppers on the window.
Other times, the outside edges of the window begin to allow air and moisture through from the outside. This is often caused by the weatherproofing strips or sealant wearing down over time. In this case, you can take weatherproofing tape or a silicone-based sealant such as caulk and reseal the edges to solve this problem.
Finally, if you still find that cold outdoor air is coming through your window, it may serve useful to check if the window is properly insulated into the wall. Unfortunately, it is not too uncommon to find out that in some homes that were more hastily constructed that insulation was forgotten when the windows we being installed.
Discover Residential Property Management With This Step By Step Guide
Checking Your Roof
Another key place where the weatherproofing can begin to fail is on the roof of a property. As shingles and roofing begin to wear down, the weather can begin to creep in and begin impacting the home. This typically becomes noticeable during rainy weather when water starts to come into the house from the ceilings.
If order to ensure your roof remains properly weatherproofed you need to keep up on the regular maintenance needs for your specific type of roof. As well, if you have noticed water coming down, you may want to check your attic and the leak sites for signs of lasting water damage.
Seal Your Attic and Crawl Spaces
While you are focused on whether or not your roof is leaking, take a look around your attic and crawl spaces to check if they are properly sealed off and are not allowing outdoor air inside. These spaces are infamously colder than any other part of the house, and as a result they can force your heating and cooling system to work noticeably harder in order to maintain a comfortable atmosphere on your property.
While you are doing this, it may also be helpful to take this opportunity to check the insulation on any pipes located in these areas so that when colder winter weather rolls around the pipes do not end up freezing.
Remember: Provide Proper Notice to Your Tenants Before Bringing In Workers
Regardless of your plans or reason for accessing the property, it is always important to remember that - outside of an emergency – you are required to provide a minimum of 24 hours to your tenants prior to accessing your rental properties. This means that if you are planning to come by and inspect a property for air leaks on a free afternoon you have, you will need to provide notice to your tenant no later than the day before. However, ideally whenever possible you should let your tenants know sooner so that they can prepare the property and plan ahead to make the process easier for everyone.
Meanwhile, if you are looking to expand your investment portfolio or are interested in learning how to use your mortgage as a tool to further your investments, give us a call at LendCity. Our agents are here and ready to help you with all of your real estate financing needs.
To get started today, simply give our office a call at 519-960-0370 to book a consultation with one of our agents. Alternatively, you can visit us online at LendCity.ca to apply and get started today. Alternatively, click the link below for a free strategy call to discuss how to weatherproof your investments by unlocking your existing equity.