Officially, Houston’s summer won’t arrive for a couple of weeks—but Memorial Day was the unofficial starting date, and the thermometer has seemed to agree more with that than with the meteorologists. That means it’s already time to dust off the ‘Best of’ tips for accommodating summertime weather. Here are some of the best ones:
1. Pollen control. We’ve all been experiencing the onslaught of the pollen—nature’s own air pollution. If you vacuum the front door flashing and the crevices in the window jambs, potential allergy and asthma issues will be largely subdued.
2. Window AC wrangling. If your Houston home doesn’t rely on central air, that probably means you will be placing window air conditioners where they do the most good. A common problem comes with their handling: those sharp metal fins on the exit side are too easily bent as you mount them—and that can seriously restrict the unit’s airflow efficiency. Solution: locate the Houston store that sells “fin combs” (AKA “coil fin tool”)—they cost under $10.
3. AC management. The power companies have a recommendation that’s not commonly cited: Don’t turn the A/C off when you leave the house. In other words, don’t let the interior bake—it takes too much power to get it back to an inhabitable temp. Instead, just set the thermostat up a couple of notches.
4. Garden planning. If you’ve driven past any Houston garden supply outlets recently, you’ll have noticed how mobbed they’ve been. If you will be taking advantage of the remaining cool spells before Houston’s deep summer weather is here, one valuable garden architecture tip is to think shade—that is, anticipate the shade value mature plants will provide. Positioning your plantings with July-August sun angles in mind can yield lower cooling bills—or even just the pleasure to be had from shady yards and porches.
5. Lotion frugality. Since proper swathing in effective suntan lotion is a must-do according to every living dermatologist, it can be tempting to skimp on the fancy French-sounding products that cost a king’s ransom. Simple solution: Consumer Reports’ 2020 results shows a mind-numbing disconnect between price and sun-blocking effectiveness (for example, Trader Joe’s “SPF 50+” spray rates highest in UVA protection, yet costs 20% of some name brands that are half as potent.
Following months of the cooped-up experience, Houston’s summer weather should be especially welcome this year. If this summer will also see you embarking on a major Houston residential transaction, I hope you’ll give Rinnovare Realty, LLC a call!