Summer can feel like the perfect time to catch up on your DIY home projects, but it’s also the time when the weather makes certain fixes urgent.  

Wildfire season is at its peak in the West, heat waves are punishing rooftops from coast to coast, and the Atlantic hurricane season is barreling toward its crest.  

The good news is that there are some high-impact tasks that you can knock out in a weekend to start protecting your home.

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Wildfire prep

Ninety percent of homes lost in a wildfire are ignited by embers, not direct flames, according to research from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, so here’s how to make your house ember-resistant:

• Clear the first 5 feet around your home of everything flammable

It’s Cal Fire’s newest standard called Zone 0. They’re telling homeowners to get rid of bark mulch (replace with stone or gravel), dry plants, wood piles, even patio cushions in the backyard.  

Courtney Klosterman, Home Insights Expert at Hippo Insurance says, “Trim back any trees, each season, take a look in your yard, any overhanging brush, just clear that away from the home.”

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Also on the list: 

• Clear out dry debris from gutters
• Screen your vents with one-eighth inch metal mesh to block embers

Heat prep

(Watch our entire video here)

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how expensive it is to cool your home, it eats up 70% of the average home’s energy bill, according to the Department of Energy. So here’s your to-do list.

• Seal your attic hatch — home improvement experts say temps up there can reach 150 degrees during summer, and according to ENERGY STAR, an unsealed attic hatch lets heat through 38% faster.
• Caulk your windows, weather-strip your doors

“Window seals are really important to make sure that you're keeping cool air inside and preventing any hot air on those really hot days from entering the home," Klosterman says.

• Block the sun before it enters by closing drapes or blinds

It almost sounds too easy — but closing your curtains really can stop the house from heating up. The DOE says medium-colored curtains with white backing can cut heat gain by up to 33%.

(MORE: The science behind heat domes)

Hurricane and flood prep

(Watch our entire video here)

Just 1 inch of water inside a home can cause more than $25,000 in damage, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

"Water damage is one of the most common and costly home insurance claims that homeowners have to deal with, and it's also one of the more preventable ones," Klosterman says. So you'll want to:

• Clear gutters and point downspouts away from the foundation
• Seal foundation cracks and openings around pipes
• Grade your yard so it slopes away from the house 
• If you have a basement, test the sump pump and add a battery backup

(MORE: Hurricane evacuation — when and how to leave your home)

No matter the severe weather you face where you live, Klosterman says: "One of the most important things to remember as a homeowner … is prepare, prepare, prepare."