It’s September 2022, and the Bureau of Meteorology announced that summer this year will be a wet one… again. It’s time to weatherproof your outdoors.
Yep, you read that right, a third consecutive year of La Nina means you need to do some preparation in order to enjoy your outdoor areas this summer. Here are the top tips from our experts on where to start.
1. Protect your furniture
All types of weather can have a negative impact on your outdoor area. Too much sun may cause fading, too much wind may cause damage and too much water may ruin it completely.
There are plenty of things you can do to protect the goods. The easiest way to protect your outdoor furniture? Invest in good-quality covers.
As a bonus, this means that anytime you go to use your furniture, it will be clean as a whistle.
Another tip? Put your pillows, cushions and blankets away when not in use. Have a box undercover somewhere or even just inside the doors and make sure everything is tucked away tight.
2. Trim back your greenery (and clear your gutters)
No one likes wet mulch lying around ready to be traipsed through the house! Prune while it’s dry and get a headstart.
Drier weather helps to heal the tree whereas the rain can lead to bacteria – so get cutting to let everything heal prior to the rain arriving. While you’re outside doing a bit of gardening, now’s also a good time to clean those gutters!
3. Install a pergola
Pergolas and awnings come in all shapes, sizes and colours. There are also options to get retractable awnings, or louvered awnings so you can open and close them as you see fit. The main benefit – no matter what option you choose – is protection from the elements.
Having a roof overhead means you can enjoy your outdoor area rain, hail or shine. It’s set to be a wet, warm summer, so it’s still nice to enjoy the fresh air. Pergolas and awnings just mean you’ll avoid getting wet while doing so.
4. Care for your pool area
It’s a simple fact of life (and nature), pools can overflow. Clear the gutters around the pool area, clear the pool filter, and any drains around. This means the water can actually go where it’s supposed to go without any foliage blocking its way.
It’s also a good idea to drain your pool… but not too much! Just a few centimetres will do. This gives the rain somewhere to go and ensures your pool doesn’t overflow.
Bring in or secure your pool furniture. High winds may accompany heavy rainfall, and you don’t want any of the furniture ending up in the pool – or smashing into any fencing causing damage.
No matter what you think of La Nina – whether you love running in the rain or whether you pray for continual sunshine – she’s here to stay for yet another summer.
While they are predicting it won’t be as bad as previous years, the incoming deluge definitely means we have to get our homes ready for the potential leaks, creaks, mould and damage. As they say – better to prevent it than to fix it!
