morethanhouses | Myrtle Beach Homes | Carolina Forest Homes

Aug 16 2025

Coastal Living Secrets: How Salt Air Impacts Your Home

Living in Myrtle Beach means enjoying sunny skies, sandy beaches, and salty ocean breezes. But while salt air feels refreshing, it can quietly cause wear and tear on your home over time.

In this guide, we’ll explain how salt air impacts your roof, HVAC system, and windows, and share simple steps to protect them so you can enjoy coastal living without costly repairs.

Why Salt Air Causes Damage

First, it’s important to understand why salt air is different from regular air. Ocean breezes carry tiny salt particles, and when they land on surfaces, they can speed up corrosion and deterioration.

Because salt is naturally abrasive and holds moisture, it can break down building materials faster — especially metal, glass, and paint.

How Salt Air Affects Your Roof

Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the elements. However, salt air can:

Corrode metal flashing and fasteners
Fade or weaken shingles due to constant exposure
Encourage mold or algae growth in humid conditions

Tip: If you have a metal roof, choose a coastal-grade finish. For shingle roofs, regular cleanings and inspections will help catch damage early.

How Salt Air Affects Your HVAC System

Next, let’s talk about your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. Outdoor units in coastal areas are especially vulnerable. Salt can:

Rust coils and fans
Reduce airflow if salt particles clog the system
Shorten lifespan due to constant exposure

Tip: Schedule maintenance twice a year, and ask about anti-corrosion coatings. A simple rinse with fresh water every few weeks can also help keep salt buildup under control.

How Salt Air Affects Your Windows

Windows might seem low-maintenance, but salt air can leave behind stubborn spots and even cause damage. You might notice:

Cloudy or etched glass over time
Pitting or corrosion on metal frames
Difficulty opening or closing windows due to salt buildup in tracks

Tip: Rinse windows regularly and use a mild vinegar-water solution to clean glass. For frames, choose vinyl or fiberglass instead of bare aluminum.

Steps to Protect Your Home From Salt Air Damage

While you can’t stop the ocean breeze, you can minimize its impact with regular care:

Rinse surfaces monthly – Roof, windows, and HVAC units benefit from a quick spray with fresh water.
Use protective coatings – Look for marine-grade paints and sealants.
Schedule regular inspections – Catch small problems before they turn into big repairs.
Choose coastal-rated materials – These are made to handle salt exposure

Final Thoughts

Coastal living in Myrtle Beach comes with incredible perks — but salt air is a hidden challenge every homeowner should be ready for. By understanding how it affects your roof, HVAC, and windows, and taking preventive steps, you’ll keep your home looking great and running efficiently for years to come. Maybe you don’t live in the Myrtle Beach area yet but you are planning to, schedule your call at jeremyblanton.com if you need help navigating your move to Myrtle Beach.

Mar 13 2017

We Do More Than Just Sell A Home #MoreThanHouses

As a REALTOR® many think that my only job is to help someone buy or sell a house, but we do much more. As I began my crazy day today, I thought I would give everyone a quick glimpse into what all a REALTOR® does which is beyond just helping someone buy or sell a home. This is all what happened this morning by 9:30 AM.

I started my morning today by discussing with someone how we are active in our community helping preserve the right to home ownership with both local and state governments to make sure your rights to own a home stays affordable and safe. For example, over the past few months we have lobbied with local government in Horry County to not pass any sort of impact fees on property.

The government thought that by adding some sort of impact fee onto the purchase or sale of property it would help to stimulate economy and increase revenues to fund other items in the county. While yes, it would increase the amount of money the county has, the fees that it would impose would make it virtually impossible for many consumers to purchase or sell their homes as the fees could be several thousands of dollars. I shared this on my first call of the morning while speaking with a buyer client.

As I hung up my phone, I was greeted by an email from our state director on government affairs, Lindsay Jackson on another issue we are currently battling here in South Carolina. This issue is SC Bill 3886 which is a bill regarding Homeowners Association Legislation. Here are the main points of the bill.

Clarity on disclosure of governing documents ensuring the seller must disclose documents to potential buyers.
Clarity on the obligations of the HOA confirming that the HOA will provide printed copies of the documents for actual cost and electronic copies at no charge.
48-hour notice to homeowners from the HOA before taking any action to add or increase fees.
Creating of an online training course for HOA board members at no cost to the consumer.
Allow magistrate courts to have concurrent civil jurisdiction over certain disputes between associations and homeowners.
Create a Homeowners Association Ombudsman within the Department of Consumer Affairs to assist in dispute resolution and helping homeowners understand their rights and responsibilities.

If you would like to read the entire bill in detail, I’ve uploaded a copy SC Bill 3886 here. Also, I’ve attached a screenshot of my letter to my local state representative that was submitted digitally to her this morning below.

The original laws were put into place back in 1976 and have many amendments over the years. The one area though that has not had a lot of changes over the years is the governing of Homeowners Associations. They have been able to raise fees as they wish, make changes, and do as they wish without really any type of regulation. This new law would help to change that and add a very much needed level of governance to help protect homeowner rights. You can send a letter to SC representatives here.

As you can see, the job of a REALTOR® is more than just selling a home I also like making sure the rights of homeownership are protected and safe for generations to come. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like to learn more about homeownership in Myrtle Beach or more about this upcoming bill.

May 02 2016

Going Beyond Real Estate #morethanhouses

It’s hard to believe that today marks my two year anniversary back in real estate full time. When starting back into real estate after my Father’s passing, I had some serious decisions to make as to where I wanted to hang my license. Since I had over 10+ years experience in the business plus great notoriety as a national speaker to real estate agents, this was a very tough & difficult decision for me to make.

Things that factored into my decision were things like the monthly expenses, commission splits, office locations, the management/staff, the co-workers, and so much more. But, one thing that played another huge factor in my decision was what the company did beyond real estate to help the lives of those in the community and company. I believe strongly that success breeds success and what you sow into others, you will reap.

With my history, I had the opportunity to go work at any company I’d like along the beach. I went and interviewed with several of the top brokerages in town and met with their leadership to see which seemed to be the best fit. I ended up picking the #1 RE/MAX in the area, but the reasons why might surprise you. It wasn’t because of the awesome compensation plans that they offered. If that was the only reason, I would have ended up at a brokerage that was offering me ownership in the company to come work there.

It wasn’t because they offered me a nice corner office with amazing views either. My office is actually one of the smallest in the building and I’m cool with that. It wasn’t because of some amazing lead offering system that was offered to me. I know how to generate my own leads and know how to convert them at a very high rate. While having these things are great, they didn’t have any part in my decision.

What made me choose the place I come and work every day are the people and their willingness to help others and give back. Our brokers, are great understanding people willing to help others at any time with anything they can. When I was in the hospital in December, one of my brokers Tad stepped in to help keep my biggest sale of 2015 together and saw it through to the closing table. I didn’t even have to ask, he volunteered to do anything I needed with no questions asked. During that same time, one of my other brokers stepped in to bring groceries to the house and meals for the family to make things easier on them.

As a whole, RE/MAX is a big donor to the Children’s Miracle Network. Since 1992 RE/MAX has donated more than 140 Million to Children’s Miracle Network. Our office alone donated over $20,000 to CMN in 2015 alone. Every agent in the company donates a portion of each sale to the program. This past month we did a quick fundraiser where I cooked up some BBQ to help raise money. We were able to make close to $400 in one lunch that day just making BBQ plates. It was so successful that we will be doing this again in a few weeks in our Garden City office and then in North Myrtle Beach some time in June. Our company is constantly looking for ways to be involved in the community and ways to give back. In fact, they just recently hired a new position to help us become even more involved in our area.

These are the reasons that helped me decide where I wanted to work each day and the culture in which I want participate in. It’s much more than just selling a house and collecting a check. The culture of working here is something that is often imitated but rarely duplicated. It’s also the reason that our company has remained #1 for the past four years.

If you are planning on buying or selling a home, let me know how I can help. When we close on your home, you too will be giving back to the community and helping the children by the donations I make in your name to the hospital. We’ve heard countless stories about how our donations to the Children’s Miracle Network has helped babies who would not survive without CMN.

Life is so much more than just selling houses.