MAINTENANCE HOT SPOTS

What to watch for in summer

For most people, during summer their A/C (air-conditioning unit) is their best friend. (I’m not a big fan myself, but then I get my kids complaining that it’s too hot whenever they come over.)

If the A/C shuts down when it’s really hot or during a heat wave, it can be torture. And one question that comes up a lot is what happens to a house that’s too hot?

The good news is that the majority of construction products we use in Canada are made for Canadian weather, which we know can go from one extreme to the other — we get very cold winters and extremely hot summers. So most products can stand up to the heat, especially exterior products and materials.

What we do get is expansion — remember, most materials expand in the summer and contract in the winter — and sometimes that expansion creates too much pressure and causes damage.

For example, too much pressure can build up around windows, which could damage the windows themselves or break the insulation seal in between double- or triple-paned windows.

Obviously, a higher quality window will be able to handle this extra pressure better than say a lower quality product. But if it does happen, the window’s thermal barrier is compromised, which means it might need to be replaced.

What about your roof ? Can too much heat damage it?

Actually, the heat and sunlight hitting the roof might not (roofing products are made to handle that), but the real trouble here is if there isn’t enough ventilation and insulation in the attic below.

That will really do a number on your roof, like cause asphalt shingles to curl and wear out prematurely, and mould and/or rot in the roof structure.

Also, most roofing materials are dark, especially asphalt shingles, so they’ll absorb more heat.

If there isn’t enough insulation in the attic, all that heat will eventually make its way inside the house, heating it up throughout the day so that by nightfall it’s hotter inside the house than it is outside.

As far as heat and home construction goes, if your home is too warm, it’s uncomfortable for the people inside — in some cases it can be a major health risk, such as for the elderly or small children.

But not enough insulation in your attic and exterior walls, too much moisture and not enough ventilation and airflow throughout your home (including the attic) can definitely cause problems inside the house, such as mould, poor indoor air quality, and in some cases even rot.

A proper HVAC system, which includes air conditioning, can help keep the environment inside the home comfortable and safe, as well as protect against things like mould and moisture problems.

But the key here is to make sure you have a unit that’s properly sized for your home, which a licensed HVAC professional can determine, based on the square footage of your house.

The more square footage a home has, the more powerful the unit needs to be.

A proper HVAC system can protect against things like mould and moisture problems.

But whatever you do, do not go overboard. I’ve heard of people installing a heavy duty A/C unit for their home — much more powerful than it needs to be — because they think it will cool down their house faster.

It does, but it will cost you, sometimes even tripling your energy bill.

When an A/C unit kicks in, it needs a lot of energy to start it up, but once it gets going, it only needs a fraction of that energy to keep it running.

An A/C unit that’s sized too big for a home will be turning on and off more frequently, which will make your energy bill skyrocket.

No one likes a hot house and no one likes high energy bills. Top up your insulation if you need to, keep the soffits clean and clear in the attic, make sure you have enough airflow and ventilation throughout your home, and always bring in the pros when you need to, especially when it comes to your HVAC and air conditioning.