DUBAI 30 June 2018: Even though the UAE remains a bustling country during the summer months, its residents retreat indoors to avoid the scorching heat.
What’s more, if you have kids, they’d be spending most of their time at home during the summer vacation months, so you should go the extra mile to ensure that your home is cool and comfortable at all times.
ServiceMarket, one of UAE’s leading online marketplace for handyman and maintenance services, has put together a guide to help you prepare your home and take all necessary measures to survive the UAE’s summer heat.
Here’s how you can protect everything inside your home:
Air conditioning is your lifeline: You can forget about comfort and sleep if your AC unit breaks down. The heat can also become unbearable when your AC isn’t working at its full capacity, which is why it’s recommended that you should get all of your AC units serviced and checked by professionals before the mercury rises. You can get an AC unit inspected and cleaned for as little as Dh179. If you detect a different odor in your room, hear a noise, or feel hot even when the AC is running at its full capacity, then you might be facing an AC problem and should get in touch with your AC repair company immediately.
Insulation provides multiple benefits: Your AC unit won’t be able to cool your room properly if it isn’t insulated. Check whether there are any open vents or spaces around your windows and doors. If you find any openings, seal them as soon as possible because not only can cool air escape through them, but hot air can also flow in, making your room hot within minutes. Another way to insulate your rooms is to hang curtains that can block sunlight. By insulating your rooms, you can make it easier for your AC unit to maintain the desired temperature and cut down your electricity bills significantly.
Dust storms can wreak havoc: As a UAE resident, you have to watch out and prepare for dust storms. If you ever leave a window or two open during a dust storm, you’ll see a thick layer of dust everywhere in your house. Getting rid of this dust can be very challenging because it also goes into hard to reach corners of your home. Let’s address the obvious steps first: make sure your doors and windows are closed and there are no open vents through which dust can enter. It’s also worthwhile to invest in an air-purifier because you can face respiratory issues when you inhale dust particles. If there’s any furniture or umbrellas outside your house, be sure to bring them in or keep them in a storage facility. Cleaning up after a dust storm can also be challenging and involves several steps such as removing the carpets before vacuuming multiple times and wiping the floor with a wet mop. Don’t forget to use a wet cloth to dust your furniture and do it before you clean the floor and carpets. Otherwise, you’ll just end up scattering the dust over the floor.
Watch out for pests: Mosquitoes love the heat, and summer is the peak breeding season for cockroaches, so it’s hardly surprising that they are the most common pests we see inside our homes during these months. If you face a serious pest infestation, then be sure to get in touch with a pest control company in the UAE, but first consider taking some preventive measures to avoid pest invasions. For example, you can ask your handyman to seal all openings and vents through which cockroaches and mosquitoes can enter your home. Make sure there is no clutter, dampness, or bits of leftover food lying around in your home as these things attract cockroaches. To keep mosquitoes away, use repellents inside and outside your home. You can even hang UV insect light traps near the entrances of your house to catch mosquitoes. It’s recommended that you should book a general pest control treatment at the start of every summer to prevent and tackle pest infestations.
Don’t underestimate humidity: You might have noticed condensation on windows around August and September in the UAE due to very high humidity levels. Humidity might seem harmless, but it can cause a variety of serious issues, not least of which is respiratory problems like allergy and asthma. If you don’t control the level of humidity inside your home, then it can cause mould, mildew, paint blisters, musty smells, and damage to wooden furniture and structures. An easy way to remove excessive humidity from your home is to use a dehumidifier, but you can also take some additional simple steps to reduce humidity. Indoor plants release moisture so move them outdoor or shift all of them to just one room. Keep your bathroom and kitchen dry, and consider taking short, cold showers. You should also make sure that the areas that create and retain most moisture, e.g. bathrooms and basement, are getting proper ventilation.
How to protect belongings outside the house
Protect outdoor furniture: If you have any outdoor furniture in your balcony or patio, then you should protect it from the summer heat, humidity and dust storms, especially if it’s wooden furniture. It’s best to pack your outdoor furniture and put it in storage in your home during summer. In case there’s not enough storage space in your home, you can simply rent space in a storage facility for a few hundred dirhams per month.
Prepare your car: Our cars are like second homes to a lot of us, so it goes without saying that we should also take some precautionary measures to ensure that our cars remain cool and protected during summers. Get your car AC unit serviced and replace the battery if it’s more than 3 years old or you notice any signs of corrosion because high summer temperatures can weaken it. Replace worn down tires as they are more likely to blow up when the mercury rises. You can also keep your car cooler by tinting windows up to the permitted level of 50%. Remember to frequently check the coolant to prevent the engine from overheating. A lot of damage to the interior and exterior of your car can be avoided by finding a shaded parking area for your car if you don’t have a garage. But if that option isn’t available either, then you should consider regularly washing, drying and waxing your car, and investing in a dust cover and windshield sun protector.
Gardens need extra attention: While you retreat indoors, your garden has no option but to face the scorching heat. If you don’t take the necessary steps to protect it, you’ll start seeing withering plants and brown patches in your lawn. You can save your garden by regularly watering it either early in the morning or late in the evening when the temperature isn’t very high and the water can go deeper into the soil. To protect vulnerable plants, keep them in bigger pots because they can retain water for longer periods. Don’t forget to put such plants in shade so that they are not exposed to direct sunlight. Since natural grass requires a lot of attention in summer, many UAE residents are now planting artificial grass in their lawns. If you don’t want to do all this yourself or notice any signs of withering, hire a gardener to take care of your lawn. You can also take out an annual gardening contract in the UAE.
Here’s how you can ensure your home remains protected while you’re travelling
A lot of UAE residents travel for a week or two during summers, but they often feel apprehensive because their home and belongings remain unprotected in their absence. To put these worries to rest, just invest in a comprehensive home insurance policy which can protect your home and belongings.
Some additional precautionary steps you can take include checking AC pipes, water heaters and faucets to avoid flooding, hiring an electrician to fix electrical issues that can cause fires, and investing in a security alarm system, CCTV cameras and better locks to prevent burglaries.
Another great way to make your life more comfortable this summer is to book home maintenance services in the UAE through ServiceMarket, which only lists vetted companies and allows you read reviews and compare ratings to make an informed decision.