Planning applications in England were up 11% in December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, with spending on home improvement and DIY increasing by over 25% in September 2020. Following the pandemic, more people are looking to improve their homes, especially over the summer months.

The summer weather gives you more space to get things done and a bit more certainty with scheduling. There shouldn’t be any delays caused by frozen ground or endless periods of damp weather.

If you are looking to make major changes like building an extension, replacing windows or repairing roofs, then summer can be the perfect time to get these done so that you are watertight and ready for the winter chill.

With that in mind, which building and decorating jobs should you prioritise this summer?

Focus on the outside

Anything external is a great place to start during summer. Roofing, brickwork, building extensions, garden landscaping, painting walls, fences or brickwork and replacing windows and doors.

The winter can play havoc with scheduling and lead to costly delays, so building or decorating work that involves the external areas of your house is best done in summer. It also helps to prevent any water coming into your home while these works are being done as there is normally less rain.

If you are struggling to source a builder or tradesperson to do the work for you, then have a look at this handy blog to find out some of the jobs you can do yourself. If you’re looking to paint outside, then Dulux has a great guide to help make sure the conditions are right for the best results.

Plastering

If you have ever had anything plastered in your home, you will be familiar with the arduous process of waiting for it to dry. It can take days, even weeks to dry properly and in the winter, you are certainly at the longer end of the spectrum.

Longer, warmer, summer days mean that you can throw open the windows and get plenty of air in to help the drying process along. It also helps prevent cracks by allowing it to gently dry, as opposed to cranking up the central heating in the winter.

Getting your plastering done in the summer will also help to prevent large build ups of moisture in your home due to the wet surface. Plenty of ventilation will prevent the dampness and stop it from spreading elsewhere in your home.

Unblock and clean your guttering

Summer is a great time to get your guttering cleared and ready for the autumn. Backlogs of moss, leaves and twigs can block your downpipes and collect in corners of your guttering leading to torrential pouring over the sides when it rains heavily, doing damage to your brickwork and potentially seeping in under your eaves.

The easiest way to get them cleared is to call in a professional, who often has an array of specialist tools to get the job done, hoovering out leaves and clearing blockages.

But, if you are not daunted by heights (or you’re lucky enough to live in a bungalow), you can do it yourself with a sturdy ladder, a strong wire brush and a hosepipe. It’s a great job to get done while the weather is good.

Gloss painting and sanding

These two jobs are smelly and dusty, so being able to throw open windows and increase the ventilation is a great benefit to getting them done during the summer months.

Gloss paint can be very pungent and can often require more than one coat (especially if you are using white), so being in a well-ventilated room will disperse the smell and help it to dry faster. Glossing in colder weather can stop the paint from adhering properly, so it pays to wait and do it when it’s warmer.

Sanding is another job that benefits from great ventilation because of the dust it produces, especially if you’re sanding down internal features that can’t be moved outside. Bannisters, wood floors, door frames and windowsills often need a sand before painting to give a smooth surface and to help paint or varnish to adhere.

It is wise to wear protective equipment to prevent you from inhaling dust fibres and the paint fume. Being able to work in a well-ventilated space is a definite benefit of waiting until summer to tackle these jobs.

If you are considering extending or altering your home, you may find some of these services useful: