Heat Safety For You & Your Home

5/1/2018 (Permalink)

As summer approaches, it is time to consider precautions for the extreme Texas heat we are sure to experience in the coming months. On top of being a concern for safety, heat can also cause severe damage to homes in a variety of ways. Urban area residents have a greater chance of being affected than those who live in rural areas due to the heat island effect – increased temperatures in highly populated areas due to large amounts of concrete. To be better prepared for the impact of heat on both your health and your home read the following information:

Protecting Yourself

Whether you are in an urban or rural area, there are several things you can do to prepare for and prevent extreme heat from affecting you. If possible, stay indoors in air conditioning. Be sure to check on your pets who may be outdoors or bring them inside. Stay hydrated and limit alcohol and caffeine intake.

If you must go outside, wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and be sure to apply sunscreen often. Pay attention to signs of heat exhaustion, which are heavy sweating; weakness; cold, pale, and clammy skin; nausea or vomiting; fainting, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, which is life-threatening. Signs of heat stroke are a high body temperature (103+), rapid and strong pulse, and possible unconsciousness. If you think someone has heat stroke, call 911 immediately and move the person somewhere cool. Reduce body temperature with cool, wet cloths, or a bath. Do not give a person with heat strokes fluids, and treat the situation as a serious medical emergency (CDC).

Protecting Your Home

In a place like Dallas roof damage can be expected. We have heavy hail storms that are not kind to the roofing on our homes; however, many people don’t realize that it is the months of high temperatures we experience that wear our roofs down quickly. Heat can shrink shingles, causing nails to pop and those shingles to lift. Rafters and joists may start to expand which leads to sealant stretching and breaking. Even the heat rising within your home into your attic can result in blistered and cracked shingles.

These things are bad news for your home as we obviously rely on the roof to protect it from all types of weather, particularly the down pours from summer storms. To try and decrease the impact of the heat this summer on your own roof you can install an attic fan, more insulation, or even ridge vents to attempt to alleviate some of the damage. Professional roofers can assess the damage on your roof, and give you further suggestions on maintaining it.

Extreme Heat

Extreme heat is a serious concern for both the safety of humans and homes. If you experience any damage to your home due to a damaged roof, call SERVPRO of Park Cities right away to get your home back to normal as quickly as possible. Call us anytime at 214-55-3000.