There is a surge of online searches for home improvement this year as compared to the same time last year. Renovating your home is a great way to enhance both function and appeal, and this is part of the reason why more and more people are interested in making improvements all around the country. If you’re looking to make home improvements and renovations to your Florida home, here are some of the tips to consider.
Use Materials with a Florida Product Approval Number
Florida is a hot state when it comes to hurricanes. It gets hit by almost 40% of all hurricanes that make landfall on America’s eastern coast each year. Because of this, make sure to only use materials that have a Florida product approval number for any external improvements you do. This will give you the assurance that they can withstand a hurricane as they’ve been tested with procedures like low impact missile procedure to make sure that they can withstand hurricanes with flying debris and winds of up to category five.es
Make Small Renovations at a Time
The hot and humid weather of Florida means that if you’re not careful, you will end up with mold, dry rot, or issues from wood termites. To make sure that you do a good, thorough job and stay within your budget, break down any project you take on into chunks that can be completed in a day each. This will also be helpful if you’re planning to do the renovations yourself and won’t leave your home during the process. It will be easier for your family too, when they don’t feel like the house has been transformed into a construction site. This will save you from burning out and the process will be a lot easier to do.
Protect Your Wood
As mentioned, Florida is extremely humid and hot. To keep any wood you’re working with safe from termites, treat it with Timbor or a similar insecticide. This should also keep it safe from wood decay fungus and powder post beetles. It does not stain wood and remains almost completely odorless, and it’s most effective when applied while the wood is exposed. If you do any renovations involving wood, make sure to keep this tip in mind as it will save you a lot of potential damage.
Check Your Home’s Zone
Because the Everglades covered about 11,000 square miles of South Florida at one point, it’s good to make sure that your home is not in a flood zone before you do any renovations. According to FEMA, the improvements you make cannot exceed 50% of the structure’s value unless you will raise it above the floodplain. This is important to think about so that you don’t negatively affect the soundness of your home with a renovation.
Hire a Certified Contractor
The construction industry in Florida is very heavily regulated, so make sure that any contractor you work with has the right licenses and insurance. Even things as minor as painting your home and changing your front door require a license, so don’t be caught on the wrong side of the law by trying to get a handyman without a license to do major improvements. Things like vinyl-glazed window enclosures have an option of vertical four-track panels that offer your enclosed porch, sunroom, or deck 75% ventilation. If you get horizontal side slider panels, you can expect 50% to 100% ventilation, and these are a good example of a project that needs the know-how of an experienced and registered contractor.
Making improvements to your home will give it a fresh breath, so make sure to plan them out well and follow the tips above. This will ensure it runs well and successfully to the end.
