Getting Your Home Ready for Winter
Winter is coming as you have seen. No, we’re not talking about any kind of Game of Thrones reference, winter is literally coming. It’s getting colder, and you are no longer going to be able to put off the things that need to be done in order to get your home ready. We know that a lot of people don’t like doing these kinds of things, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still need to be completed. It’s important if you want your home, the things inside it and yourselves to get through the winter without any issues. If you would like to know more about the kind of things that we are talking about, keep reading down below.
Insulation
First, you need to make sure that your home is properly insulated. Ideally, you should have done this a long time ago, but if you haven’t, then there’s no time like the present. You want to make sure that you can trap and keep the heat inside the home once it’s in, rather than facing the frosty air outside. Insulation isn’t the cheapest thing in the world, even though there are plenty of options. We recommend that you get in touch with a company that specializes in this and talk through your options with them.
There are a lot of places in your home that are going to need insulating. But, if you don’t have the money to make this happen, then you need to get some advice on the most important places. Make sure that these are done first so that you don’t find yourself either freezing, or letting all the hot air out so having to turn up your heating.
The Roof Needs To Be Secure
If you are going to make it through the winter season, your roof needs to be secure. This means that there shouldn’t be any leaks in the roof, any slats should be in the correct place, and ideally, no vulnerabilities. If you see something up there that looks like it could start to cause issues but isn’t at the moment, now is still the time to fix it. Taking pre-emptive measures now and then thanking yourself later is better than the alternative.
It might be the case that you already know there is an issue with the roof that is so severe it can’t be fixed. If this is true for you, you need to ensure that you look into roof replacement services as soon as possible. Getting this sorted out should be your number one priority. The main reason for this is the fact that if it isn’t, you could be facing something not so fun in the coming months. It might feel like a lot of money to spend, but there is no price too high for your safety.
Security
You should also be looking around and seeing if there are any security issues with the home. Of course, we just talked about the roof, but we didn’t mean that. There are other parts of your home that could be a problem for security including the windows and doors. You should ensure that all of your locks are in proper working order and that your doors aren’t hanging on by a threat. Some people have issues with their doors that they just haven’t gotten around to fixing, but don’t be one of them. All it takes is one particularly strong gust of wind and the door will be off its hinges, causing the wind to blow through your home like nothing. This can cause havoc and it’s not something that you want to experience. As such, you need to get all of the doors and windows checked as soon as possible to ensure that you’re not going to have this issue.
We’re not saying that this is something that commonly happens, but it can happen. You need to plan for the things that can go wrong, not just the things that might go wrong. Even when things are unlikely, they still come to pass sometimes, and the last thing that you need to have done is be one of those people who stand there and say ‘it won’t happen to me’.
Heating
It is essential that you are ensuring that your heating system works. If there is something wrong with the buttons on the control pad, if the heating isn’t coming on, if it isn’t working the way that it should, call an engineer. These are the people who can help you, and you need to get this sorted out before the first of the harsh weather comes. Blankets, warm clothes and candles can only do so much to keep you warm in a freezing home where the heating isn’t on. You are risking getting sick if you do this, which we know is not something that you want.
Your heating system is important, even if it is only once per day. You should be having this regularly checked throughout the year to ensure that it is ready to go when the time comes in the winter.
Look At The Windows
Your windows are one of the places that heat can escape, the same way that heat can get in. If your windows are shut, this shouldn’t be an issue, but sometimes it is. For example, it might be true that your windows aren’t sealed properly and that is why cold air is seeping in and warm air is escaping. Don’t let this happen if you can avoid it, especially when there is a really simple solution. Just seal up your windows again. It doesn’t take long, it’s not expensive, and you can buy sealant at your local DIY. It might be a simple fix, but we promise you that it is going to make a huge difference when the cold sets in.
Also, keep them covered with thick curtains as an extra layer of insulation. If you do this, then this blocks any last bits of cold air from coming in, and traps the heat inside the room so that it can’t escape.
Clear Out The Gutters
It might not necessarily be something that is important for the winter season, but your gutters need to be cleared out either way. The last thing that you want is for them to start overflowing through the winter season and start leaking into your home. This is going to be a nightmare if you allow this to happen as it might mean more repairs inside the home. Your gutters are tricky because they are always at risk in extreme temperatures but there isn’t much that you can do. The only thing that you can really do is try to ensure that they are not clogged up so there isn’t so much weight in them, dragging them down and blocking their path.
A Regular Boiler Service
Your boiler doesn’t only sort out your heating (sometimes), but it also sorts out your hot water, and if there is something that you do not want to be without in winter, it’s this. It’s for this reason that you should be booking in for a regular boiler service twice per year or so. Hopefully by doing this you will be able to catch a problem before it actually has any chance to have a negative impact on your life. You can get the boiler replaced if this is necessary, and then you don’t have to worry about freezing during the colder months. Boiler replacement can be expensive, it’s true, but it is always going to be worth it.
Make sure that you are listening to the advice that has been given as well. By this, we mean that you should listen to the engineer if they recommend something for your home.
Get Out Your Big Shovel
Finally, you never know when it’s going to start snowing, or if it’s going to start snowing. This means that you need to get your big shovel down from wherever you put it at the end of winter last year. You might not have time in the mornings to waste running around looking for it, so ensure it’s in the same place you always have it, waiting for when it is needed. It will help you out of some situations on your driveway when you have got to get to work!
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you need to do in order to get your home ready for the winter season. If you can manage to do all of these things, then winter isn’t going to be a huge problem for you or for your home. Taking precautions now before the worst of the weather kicks in is the best thing that you can do for yourself, so it’s what we highly recommend. If you don’t do this, you may find more and more issues cropping up in the near future. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that your home stays safe this winter.
