Now, when the summer is nothing more than just a distant memory and radio stations are starting to play Christmas songs, it’s time to think about preparing your home for the upcoming winter. And no, by that we don’t mean hanging out Christmas decorations.
Sure, winterising a house is not the most enjoyable activity. It’s absolutely crucial, though, especially if you haven’t done it for a long time or live in a colder climate. Don’t forget that ice, snow, and freezing temperatures can severely damage your house.
With that in mind, the right idea is to take a couple of days and prepare your home for the winter weather. And to help you do that correctly, we’ve prepared a quick guide. Below, you’ll find the checklist of the most important elements of home winterisation.
Check Your Roofing
The first thing you have to do is inspect your roof. The reason why it’s a good idea to start with it is that the colder and wetter it gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Not to mention that climbing up your roof when it’s raining or snowing is simply a terrible experience.
That’s why if you still haven’t done it, it’s high time you see the shape your roof is in. Look for any broken or missing shingles, worn rubber, masses of moss and lichen, or any other possible roofing defects. The same goes for your shed roof if you have one. A good idea is also to check your gutters while you’re up there.
Fortunately, you can deal with most minor roofing cracks yourself. For more advanced jobs, however, it’s best to get in touch with professionals. The most important thing, though, is not to underestimate the issue. Finding out your roof is leaky when cold weather hits is not a lovable experience.
Inspect Your Heating System
As the days are getting shorter and colder, keeping your home nice and warm becomes a matter of life and death. To achieve that, however, you need efficient and fully operating heating. To ensure you won’t wake up in a freezing home when the winter hits, giving it a thorough inspection is a must.
Check if your furnace and water heater work properly. The last thing you need is water freezing and destroying your pipes. Also, if you have ceiling fans, it’s a good idea to reverse them. And don’t forget to clean your chimney if you use it.
When it comes to heating, the best idea is to hire a professional crew that will take care of everything. Keep in mind that keeping it all in the best shape is the only way to make sure your home stays warm during winter. It will also keep your heating bill on a relatively reasonable level.
Insulate Windows
As magical as winter can be, it comes with one, significant con. It skyrockets heating costs. Keeping an entire house or flat warm is costly even with efficient heating, and if your windows have air leaks, it might get even worse. That’s why inspecting your windows is an absolute must.
If you notice any possible leaks, you need to take immediate actions. Fortunately, it doesn’t mean you have to replace all your windows. There are a few easy and relatively cheap ways to help keep the warmth inside. What’s more, you’ll find them in all hardware stores.
You can use:
- Rope caulk
- V-seal weather stripping
- Nail polish
- Draft snake
- Shrink film
Ensuring your windows are properly insulated can save you even up to 20% on energy bills, so it’s definitely worth your time.
Prepare Your Outdoors
However, the inside and the roofing of your home are not the only things you have to take care of. Preparing your outdoors for the upcoming cold weather is equally important and requires much more than just clearing your gutters from leaves and taking care of your flowers.
First of all, turn off the exterior water pipes and if you have sprinklers or an irrigation system, drain the lines so that water doesn’t destroy them.
Secondly, if you have shed, and use it as a storage, ensure it’s adequately insulated. If you worry that some of the equipment or plants you store there might be vulnerable to cold, maybe you should place them inside your home for winter.
Also, if you have a garden pond, don’t forget to winterise it too.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many things you need to consider to ensure you efficiently prepare your home for winter. Doing it the right way is crucial, as you can be sure that there’s nothing worse than finding out your home is unprepared in the middle of the winter season.
The checklist you’ve just read doesn’t cover it all, as there several minor things that weren’t included here, but are also worth checking. Nevertheless, considering that winter is just around the corner, you should take care of at least these four parts of home winterisation.