Maintenance around your home is something thatβs important to do, especially as we head into the colder months of the year. Fewer people will brave the cold to go out and socialize, opting instead to spend it indoors in the warmth of the home. Itβs a good idea to ensure youβre home is ready for the more harsh weather conditions ahead. Here are ten tips to maintain your home during the colder months.
Check Gutters & Drain Systems
When it comes to your gutters and drainage system for the home, itβs an essential element to your propertyβs structure. It helps with the collection of water and to ensures that it gets drained appropriately without damaging the homeβs foundations and overall structure. If your gutters are clogged, or your drains arenβt working quite as well as they should be, then this could lead to problems that could end up being quite severe for the homeβss health and for your wallet. Itβs worth taking the time to clear out your gutters every season so that itβs free of debris, and that way, you wonβt need to worry about water flooding onto your home or for any unwanted guests hibernating in the gutters themselves. As much as it can be an ideal spot for wildlife, you donβt want to be encouraging them into your home.Β
Your drainage system should also be working correctly, and it should be alerted to your local authorities of any public drains that are perhaps blocked or causing some issues. Itβs also worth knowing about the best trench drain systems list, as this can be helpful when sorting out your drains and making sure everything is sorted ahead of time.
Bleed Your Radiators
Over the summer, youβre not likely to use your heating when itβs likely to be so warm around the home already. Both in the day and evening, temperatures can be high enough to heat up the whole home without having to spend anything on your utility bills. However, when the winter months come around, itβs certainly a good idea to look at bleeding your radiators. This is fairly easy to do by yourself, but caution should be taken regardless. Itβs important to turn off your heating before you start to avoid any injuries occurring!Β
Begin bleeding your downstairs areas first before moving upstairs. There are plenty of helpful guides online, but if you want advice from the experts, you could always ask your local plumber for some tips or pay them to come out and do it for you. Weβre all a little different in the levels of confidence we have when it comes to doing projects and tasks around the home.
Weatherproof Any External Pipes
Weatherproofing external pipes can be really handy to ensure the safety of your pipes and central heating, even during the harshest of weather. If you leave pipes that sit externally outside the property, exposed, then youβre going to increase their chances of freezing. This could lead to more serious problems, one of which could include the pipes themselves exploding. It sounds a little extreme, but any burst pipes can be quite costly to replace, and that can sometimes be at the expense of your water too.Β
Itβs important that youβre getting heat and water supply every day in a household, no matter what the size of your family may be. To have something so integral, stop working can really throw your household off-balance and can cause chaos. Itβs worth doing what you can to weatherproof any and all external pipes, and if itβs something you canβt do, then you could always get someone out to do it for you. Itβs better for it to be done than not to be done, after all.
Do Window & Door Security Checks
Your windows and doors can leave you vulnerable if youβre not careful, so itβs important to spend the time checking these areas of the home throughout the year. There can be vulnerable spots when it comes to your windows and doors, so itβs essential to do the relevant checks to spot any broken window panes or locks on a door that are simply too vulnerable when it comes to the safety of you and your household. You should be hot on getting a good CCTV package and security system in order to cater to the safety and security of your home. However, if thatβs not something you can afford, at least check your windows are intact and that all locks are good enough to keep you safe from any harm.
Often enough, you may find that some windows and door frames can come away from the walls due to weather conditions, which is normal. These can easily be filled in to ensure youβre keeping your homeβs safety in place but also to insulate your home as these cracks and gaps can cause leaks of cold air that can come into your home if youβre not careful.
Maximize Your Insulation
Insulation is certainly a good thing thatβs worth taking advantage of when it comes to providing warmth in your home. Itβs also good to help you save on your energy bills too. Try to find places in the home that need the insulation, whether that be in the ceilings, the roof space, or your walls. You can also get temporary draft excluders that can sit at the bottom of doors and windows to help provide further insulation where necessary.
When it comes to insulation, there are lots of different types of materials used, and depending on the material or type of insulation used will often dictate the cost. No matter what youβre budget, there will be something available to you and within your price range.Β
Upgrade Your Boiler If Needed
Itβs a good idea to keep an eye on your boiler because although itβs one of those appliances that can last for a couple of decades, it can still have its faults and problems that could impact the age of which your boiler will survive until. An annual inspection should certainly be done once a year where possible and where itβs not, you should be looking to replace your boiler so that you arenβt suddenly left with no water. For the sake of your own safety, itβs worth looking and listening to your boiler for any unusual activity that you donβt normally see. This can be a sign that something is wrong and if left ignored and unattended, could result in disaster. So make sure youβre getting it checked out sooner rather than later.
Sort Out The Garden
The garden is an area of the home that often be ignored. When it comes to your outdoor space, itβs essential youβre looking after it, even during the colder months. The garden space can still be something thatβs enjoyed and not simply dismissed because itβs too cold to be outside. In fact, you could adapt the space so that you can enjoy more of the winter weather in comfort. A fire pit is a great addition as well as any canape type structures to keep the wind at bay.
Make sure youβre trimming back any hedges or shrubs that are getting too close to the property. Take out any dead plants and protect any vulnerable areas with covering to ensure everything is kept nice and safe to reveal during the warmer months.
Get A Smart Meter
A smart meter is a great opportunity to see exactly whatβs going on in your home. It can help you determine what appliances are using more than their fair share of energy and whatβs using the least. That way, you can focus on trying certain appliances a lot less frequently and perhaps replacing certain ones for more energy-efficient models. Itβs essential that youβre looking after your energy consumption for the sake of the environment too. Weβre all contributing to climate change and the extreme shift in weather.Β
Deep Clean Your Appliances
Your appliances are certainly something that can get dirty, and itβs important to keep on top of the cleaning around your home. If not, then these appliances are likely to break down or not last as long. It means youβre not getting enough value for money, and as the festive month comes round, you can often need to put your money to other things. Itβs worth giving your appliances like the dishwasher to the drains of your shower, a deep clean so that youβre reducing any damage that could be caused. There are lots of products you can use, especially household items that you might already have in your cupboards.
Looking after your home is something we can all take pride in, and maintaining it during this time of year is just as important as the rest of it. Make sure youβre looking after your appliances, getting the regular checks where necessary, and clearing out gutters where needed. Take care of your efforts to keep the home clean and organized for the remainder of the year ahead.
