How to Protect Your Vacation Rental from the Coastal Elements

Florida is a beautiful state with miles of coastline that attract vacationers from all over the world and living on the coast comes with many benefits: stunning views, a relaxed lifestyle, and easy access to the beach. However, one of the drawbacks of living near the ocean is that your home is constantly exposed to coastal elements like wind, rain, and sand.

If you're a vacation rental owner in Florida, it's important to take steps to protect your property from these elements. In this article, we'll discuss some common practices for protecting your beach home or condo from the coastal weather. By following these tips, you can help prevent damage to your property and keep it looking its best!

Choosing the Right Materials

When building or renovating your beach home, it's important to choose materials that can withstand the harsh coastal weather. Your building materials and fixtures, the type of paint you use, the windows and doors you select, and even the type of furniture you choose should all be able to withstand the elements.

You'll also want to make sure that any materials you use are resistant to saltwater damage. Saltwater is highly corrosive and can quickly damage unprotected metals, so it's important to use materials that won't rust or corrode. Stainless steel with a layer of chromium oxide, galvanized steel or aluminum, and fiberglass are all good choices for coastal construction.

Finally, you'll want to avoid using any materials that are susceptible to mold or mildew. These can be a problem in any home, but they're especially common in coastal areas due to the high humidity.

Protecting Your Doors and Windows

Another important step in protecting your beach property is to seal everything. All of the exterior surfaces of your home should be sealed with a high-quality sealant that will repel water and resist salt damage. This includes your roof, siding, windows and doors.

One of the most vulnerable parts of your home is the door and window frames. These are constantly exposed to the elements and can easily become damaged by wind, rain, and sand. To protect them, you should consider installing hurricane shutters or impact-resistant glass. These will provide a barrier against the wind and flying debris during a storm.

If you are limited by budget, you should at least apply a clear sealant to the frames to help repel water and keep out sand. You should also make sure that your doors and windows fit snugly in their frames; gaps can let in water and sand, causing damage to your home.

Caring for Your Furnishings

Indoor Furniture

If you have indoor furniture in your beach home, you'll need to take steps to protect it from the elements. The first step is to choose furniture that is made from materials that can withstand the elements. Leather, wicker, and teak are all good choices for coastal furniture.

You should also avoid using fabrics that are susceptible to mold or mildew. Outdoor performance fabrics, like Sunbrella, are a good choice for coastal furniture as they are resistant to mold and mildew.

To help protect your furniture from the sun, you should also use window treatments like blinds, shades, or curtains. These will help keep the sun's rays out of your home and prevent

Outdoor Furniture

If you have outdoor furniture at your beach property, it's important to take steps to protect it from the elements. Sun, salt, and sand can quickly damage unprotected furniture, so it's important to choose materials that are resistant to these elements.

Aluminum, wicker, and teak are all good choices for outdoor furniture, though our preferred choice is HDPE poly furniture, which is an extremely durable, innovative material made from 100% recycled plastics with the 'look and feel' of real wood. If you prefer fabric furniture, you should make sure to shop for patio furniture with performance fabrics or to treat the fabric with a water-repellant finish. You should also store your outdoor furniture in a shed or garage when it's not in use to help protect it from the elements.

Coastal Elements

Strong Winds and Hurricanes

One of the best ways to protect your home from the wind is to install hurricane shutters. Hurricane shutters can be made of various materials, including aluminum, plywood, or impact-resistant glass. They are designed to protect your windows and doors from high winds and flying debris. If you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, it's important to have hurricane shutters installed on your property.

Another way to protect your home from the wind is to trim trees and shrubs around your property. This will help reduce the amount of wind that can blow onto your home and cause damage. Additionally, you should secure any loose items around your property, such as patio furniture, umbrellas, and potted plants.

Rain and Humidity

If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, it's important to take steps to prevent water damage. One way to do this is to install gutters and downspouts around your home. This will help redirect runoff water away from your property. Additionally, you should make sure that your home's foundation is properly sealed and that there are no cracks or gaps that could allow water to enter.

A coastal beach home is constantly exposed to humidity, which can cause mold and mildew to grow. To prevent this, you should make sure that your home is well-ventilated. You should also use a dehumidifier to help remove excess moisture from the air. Additionally, you should clean and disinfect your home regularly to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Sand and Saltwater

If you own beachfront property, it's extremely important to prevent sand from entering your beach home or condo and damaging your property. Sand can quickly ruin carpets, furniture, and floors. The best way to do this is by installing screens on your windows and doors as well as door sweeps on all of your doors. This will help keep sand out of your home. Additionally, you should sweep or vacuum your floors regularly to remove any sand that has made its way inside.

Another critical factor that can quickly deteriorate your property and belongings is saltwater, so you need to take active steps to prevent it from building up. Salt can corrode metal and damage concrete. To protect your property, you should rinse it down with fresh water regularly. You should also apply a sealant to any exposed metal to help prevent corrosion. To keep your metal surfaces looking like new, you need to regularly clean them down and wash off any excess salt or sand. This includes frames, hardware hinges tracks anything that’s exposed.

Summary

By following these tips, you can help protect your property from the coastal elements. By taking steps to prevent damage, you can keep your beach home or condo looking its best and be able to maximize your vacation rental bookings by impressing your clients. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help you protect your property!