Before the cold snap sets in there are some pre-winter maintenance jobs / a few spot checks you can do around your home to help reduce the chance of winter rains, wind, cold, ice and snow causing any damage to your home. The spot checks will also help keep your home nice and cozy during the winter months.
Outside
- Clean out the guttering and check for any leaks or damage
- Check your roof from ground level for problem signs such as loose or missing tiles
- Look over your exterior walls for cracked, loose or missing pointing or rendering and have it fixed as soon as possible and before water finds it way in!
Inside
- Check that your insulation is up to scratch;
- Check that pipes and water tanks are lagged
- Fit draught excluders
- Insulate your attic properly
- Check all your windows. If there is air blowing through the windows, you may need to seal around the edges
- Likewise with doors, weather strip all exterior doors in your house; Heat can escape under doors that are not properly sealed and lead to cold rooms and high heating bills
- Check electrical outlets and switches on outside walls, as they can also be a source of drafts. Easy to install foam insulation pad are available at most hardware stores and take seconds to install at each outlet or switch.
- If you have and use an open fire or wood burner ensure that the chimneys and flues are swept and cleaned regularly
- Get your boiler and/or central heating serviced by a registered engineer / heating professional at least once a year. This will ensure that your heating system is at maximum efficiency in keeping your home warm.
When it's cold: How to keep the heat in.
Small but effective and inexpensive things you can do around your home to help keep it warm include;
- Don't let heat escape unnecessarily. i.e. keep your doors and windows shut when the heat is on. And if you are not using some rooms in your home e.g. the guest bedroom, turn the heating off and keep the door closed.
- If your home has a fireplace that you aren't using, be sure the flue is closed
- Keep windows covered when it's dark outside i.e. nice heavy curtains will help keep draughts out and the heat in.
- Consider using a programmable thermostat and timer with your central heating system. This will allow you to adjust and time your heat on a predetermined schedule.
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