Summer is officially over, and that means only one thing. The temperature will start to drop, and winter will be here in just a few weeks! Most people love to spend the winter evenings snuggled up in their home rather than outside braving the terrible weather. But you won’t want to spend any time at home if your house is not prepared for winter! It could be extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully, you still have enough time to get things ready for the colder months. Not sure what needs to be done to your home? Here are some great ideas to help you get your home ready for winter.
Prevent Pipes From Freezing
Once the temperatures dip, all your pipes will be at risk of freezing. Especially if you ever go away for a few days and your property’s central heating isn’t in use. Any pipes in your shed or outbuildings will also be at risk. One of the best ways to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting is to make sure that they are correctly insulated. Using a foam board is an easy way to insulate large areas of piping. If you do have a week’s vacation planned this winter, there is one easy way to stop your pipes from freezing while you are away. Just remember to turn the water off for the week! This way, there won’t be any water in the system that can freeze.
Check Heating System
No matter how you heat your home, you should check that the system is in good working order. Otherwise, you might find that your home is extremely cold when winter rolls around. And you may have to wait a while to get your heating fixed! The best way to make sure that it works fine is to simply turn it on for a few hours. If you don’t notice a problem, then there should be nothing wrong with it. However, if you hear a funny noise, or it doesn’t seem to be heating up, you should call someone to take a look. This is especially important if your heating system also heats your hot water. You don’t want to be stuck without heating and hot water this winter! You can find your nearest plumber online at sites like https://www.benfranklinclt.com/water-heater-repair-charlotte-nc/.
Clear Gutters
Water damage can cause extensive structural damage to your property. The most common cause of water damage is blocked drains and gutters. That is because the water has nowhere to go, so it just flows down the exterior walls. There is one easy way to prevent this, though. You just need to make sure that your gutters are regularly cleared. You should clear them no while the weather is still quite good. Climb your ladder and take out any dead leaves and other debris that has collected in them. It might also be worth having a final check of them once the fall is over and the trees have lost all their leaves. Never cleared out your gutters before? Then you can use an online guide such as this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_9WJSzV6fw.
Get Your Chimney Swept
Are you lucky enough to have an original chimney in your home? If so, this needs to be regularly maintained. And the fall is the best time to call a chimney sweep to come and clean it out for you. This is very important if your fire is your main source of heat. If there is too much dust and soot in your chimney, it could be at risk of catching fire and causing a chimney fire. These types of fires can be difficult to control, and they can quickly spread around your home. If you hire a professional sweep to come and take care of your chimney, you can light your fire through the winter. Without worrying about creating a hazard in your home!
Get Proper Insurance
You need to take another look at your insurance policies and make sure that your property is covered for potential winter damage. Ideally, your home insurance should cover you against floods, fire, subsidence, and theft. If possible, also try to get a policy that covers accidental damage. Don’t think about risking one more winter without insurance. It is difficult to predict when winter damage will occur to your home. If it does, you could end up paying a lot of money on the repairs. It will definitely save you money to just take out insurance!
Get The Best Energy Deal
Many of us are paying a lot more for our energy than what we need to. So before winter hits and you start turning your thermostat up, think about looking at your energy bills. Could you be getting a better deal with another company? The only way to find out is to go online and compare the different prices offered by companies. You might even be able to get a better price by contacting your current energy provider. If you call them and say you are thinking of switching companies they might give you a better deal to try and get you to stay.
Get Insulation
Finally, you should also check that your property is correctly insulated. If it isn’t, all the warm air could be leaving it without you noticing. You will then need to heat your house even more, which can become very expensive. Head up to your loft or attic space and check that the cavity wall insulation is still in good quality. If it isn’t, you will need to call an insulation company to replace the old stuff. If you have old style doors and windows, it could be worth replacing them with plastic frames and double-glazing. These modern frames and styles will trap in hot air much more efficiently.
Once you do all these little jobs, you will start to notice the benefit around your home. Especially once winter is here! It will feel cozy no matter how cold things get outside!
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