Winter can be tough on your home. From bad weather to extra pressure on your heating, your home has to work hard all Winter and be more at risk of being damaged. There are lots of things you can do to get your home ready, to keep it safe, warm, and in good repair over the colder months.
Image – free for commercial use
Get Your Boiler Serviced
Winter is the time of year when your boiler has to work the hardest. Make sure it’s up to this hard work by having it serviced. Most boilers should be serviced every year, and timing the service for just before Winter is a good idea, as you can have it checked out to find any problems before you have the heating on all day. Without your service, your boiler is more likely to have issues or even break down, leaving without the heating when you need it most. Book your service, and repair and replace any parts that have seen better days, like condensate pumps.
Check For Trees
Do you have trees in your garden? Before the weather turns bad, it’s a good idea to trim these trees back, especially if they have any loose branches or are very close to the house. If trees are left to grow too big or are left with loose branches, bad weather could cause branches to break off and fall on your house, doing a lot of damage.
Clean Your Gutters
Cleaning the guttering isn’t exactly a fun task, but it needs to be done, especially in the winter. During the Fall, it’s likely that lots of leaves and every other debris have ended up in your guttering, where they stop water from flowing properly. If water can’t move through your gutters, it can flood out, causing damage to your roof or overflowing out of the wrong place and leaving damp stains over the house. Before the weather really turns, get up on the ladder, and clear out the guttering so water can drain correctly. While you’re up there, check the roof for any loose or missing roof tiles that could let in rainwater.
Make Repairs
Before the weather turns, try to keep on top of any repairs that might need doing around the house. Repairs left undone can let the weather in, either letting cold air blow through the house or let rainwater in, causing problems with damp. Check for any gaps or cracks around doors and windows, or in your exterior walls. Don’t forget to check the garage too. Make sure any fence panels are in a good state of repair so any bad weather doesn’t make any damage worse. Check your roof for missing tiles.
With some prep in advance, you can help your home to stay cozy, in good repair, and safe for you and your family. Before the bad weather really kicks in and it gets harder to make repairs, get any DIY done, get the boiler checked, and tick winter chores off your list.
Leave a Reply