10 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winter

by Forrest Wheatey

Easy

The nights are drawing in and summer is already a distant memory for some of you reading this. Pretty sure we've had a Summer, but you might have missed it, because it wasn't quite as spectacular as hoped. It won't be long before Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, suffering from colds or flu is just part of the Winter season, and you're have to scrape the ice from your car. So what can you do to keep yourself warm and your home nice and toasty before winter sets in?

10 ways to prepare your home for winter, home decor, home improvement, home maintenance repairs

Protect Your Pipes

A very common problem for homeowners, caused by the cold temperatures in Winter are burst pipes. Rapid freezing and thawing can cause untold damage if you don't take the right precautions. The best way to prevent your pipes from freezing is to wrap them in their own winter jacket. This will maintain a higher temperature and prevent any water inside from freezing and subsequently cracking the pipes. You can purchase a foam cardigan, specially made for pipes, called lagging. It will prevent the temperature inside from dropping and reduce the chances of the water freezing.

Check Your Boilers

Just before Winter begins is a great time to get your boiler checked. A boiler that's been poorly maintained is going to be far less efficient. It will waste energy and cost more to run. You also run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, if you don't get your boiler regularly checked. Before your boiler is put into full time use is the perfect time for getting it serviced, and considering changing it to a condensing unit, which will save you money on your energy bills.

Insulation

It's important to keep your home well insulated, because as much as a quarter of your heat could be lost through the roof. Good loft and wall cavity insulation is important, and will save you money on your energy bills. It shouldn't cost you the earth, and to help with the cost you may be eligible for a government grant or scheme to help with the cost of insulation installation.

Bleed Radiators

Now that Winter is on its way, you want to be sure that your radiators are working as efficiently as possible. Air may have become trapped inside over the summer months, and will result in the radiator being colder at the top than at the bottom. There is a simple, quick fix and that's to bleed your radiators, thereby releasing any air trapped inside. Get a towel and find that special key and get on with it, it'll only take a few minutes of your time.

Clean Gutters

The perfect time for cleaning your gutters is towards the end of Autumn. All the leaves should have fallen off the trees by then, and your gutters will likely be full up with all this debris. Not clearing the blockage will lead to a build up of water, and possibly cause costly water damage to your property and its foundations.

Trim Trees

Just as your trees are settling down for Winter, give them a trim and make sure they're growing away from your house. This will help reduce the amount of leaf litter in your gutters, and also prevent a build up of snow and subsequent broken branches.

Seal up Draughts

There's nothing worse than feeling a chilly breeze round your ankles or neck when you're trying to keep warm in your home during winter. Somehow that breeze will find its way through the smallest of cracks or crevices. One way to prepare your home for winter is to seal up your property. Check door and window frames and seal up any gaps with self adhesive draught excluders or buy yourself a few of those funny shaped excluders that look like a dog or a snake.

Make Sure Your Cupboard is Well Stocked

Keep your cupboards well stocked with all the essentials, and that means making sure you've got lots of hot chocolate. Snuggling up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate is a great way to spend the evenings when temperatures have dropped below freezing. Winter can also be very dangerous out on the roads, so keep your journeys to a minimum by keeping a good stock of all the basics.

Make Sure Your Insurance is up to Date

Winter is very unkind to properties in general, so it's always best to ensure your insurance is up to date, and you're covered for any winter-related damage. Having cover for flooding, snow damage and repairs needed for your roof, means you can sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that any accidents are covered.

Preparing your home for winter shouldn't involve huge expenses. Just a little bit of careful examination, checking and simple maintenance will keep you and your family safe from the ravages that winter is about to unleash on your home.

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