The extreme heat that’s been scorching the D.C. area for days is not only bad for humans and pets, it also could lead to damage to your home.
In most cases, the issues come up when the heat is coupled with high humidity levels, said Paul Hope, home and garden editor with Consumer Reports.
“Things just like wood framing, sheathing, roofing, doors, all those parts of our houses that we just sort of take for granted and expect to work a certain way can swell and contract with big changes and swings in humidity,” Hope said.
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The heat can also damage the siding of a home. Hope said in communities with houses close to one another, the heat paired with the sun reflecting off a neighbor’s windows can cause the siding to melt in spots.
Also, while most pipes are made to withstand high temperatures, they are not impervious to changes in temperatures, according to Hope.
“They can obviously shrink and grow with extreme changes in temperature,” he said.
Also, air conditioning units can really take a beating while working to keep homes cool during steamy weather.
But Hope said the most damage reported amid a heat wave comes from severe weather, which feeds off the hot and humid conditions.
“Very often, out of the blue, we have these big high-pressure systems that will sweep through an area, often without warning, and they can bring really heavy torrential downpours in some cases,” Hope said.
Those can lead to roof damage from high winds and downed trees or limbs. It also can result in leaks inside the home.
To handle the humidity inside a home, Hope recommends using a dehumidifier, which takes water out of the air.
To mitigate concerns about pipes amid the heat or leaks from rain, Hope said homeowners can install one or two leak detectors in the home and attic.
“It can alert you right away on your smartphone if it detects a leak, and it can, in some cases, end up preventing you from having thousands of dollars worth of damage,” Hope said.
Another surprise for homeowners who find damage during heat spells — they discover their insurance policy does not cover damage caused by extreme heat.
“You always really want to get into the fine print, ideally, ahead of any severe weather event to find out what is and isn’t covered by your policy, and then see if there’s supplemental coverage you can add to try to guard against some of these severe weather incidents that might occur,” Hope said.