Holiday houses face a hard life

A holiday house near Inverloch, Venus Bay or Tarwin Lower spends much of the year closed up, then gets heavy use over summer. Meanwhile, salt air, sand, wind and damp keep working on it. A little maintenance keeps it ready to enjoy.

Rust

Salt air corrodes steel fast. Hinges, screws, door handles, window catches, gate latches and fence fixings rust. Replace with stainless or galvanised hardware as items fail.

Sand

Sand fills sliding door and window tracks, wearing rollers and making doors hard to open. Vacuum tracks regularly and replace worn rollers.

Damp and mould

A shut-up house builds condensation and mould. Ventilate when you visit, treat mould early, and replace mouldy silicone.

Decks and outdoor timber

Sun and salt dry out decks quickly. Clean and oil decks before summer and check for loose boards, nails and rotten timber.

Flyscreens

Wind and use tear screens. Replace mesh before summer.

Pre-season check

Before the first summer visit, check doors, windows, screens, gutters, decks, outdoor showers’ fittings and hardware. We can do this for you and send photos.

Get help

Send your list and tell us how to access the house.