Preparing Your Home Ready for the Winter

It may still be August, but it won’t be long until the days start to become shorter and the nights longer as the cold weather starts to creep back around. Even though here in the UK we don’t often get a lot of warm weather, the winter months can be significantly colder, with frozen pipes and draughts becoming commonplace for many homeowners. Thankfully, we’re at a time of year that’s perfect for preparing your home to be able to withstand the upcoming colder months, and there are many simple things that you can do to ensure that your house is a cosy haven of warmth, even on the coldest winter days.

Upgrade Your Heating

Upgrading your heating system is definitely a good idea when it comes to preparing your home for the winter, especially if your boiler, heaters and radiators are looking a bit worse for wear and haven’t been updated in a while. Upgrading your heating system not only means that you’ll be warmer at home during the winter months, it can also mean that you’ll save money on your energy bills over the winter due to a higher level of energy efficiency. For radiators, heated towel rails and more, see warmrooms.co.uk.

Check Your Insulation

Since around a quarter of the heat in your home is lost through the roof, having good loft and wall cavity insulation when the winter months come around is absolutely vital. If your home already has insulation, it’s a good idea to have it checked before the winter to make sure that it is not showing signs of wear and tear or causing any unnecessary heat to be lost. Insulation in the walls and around the pipes in your home is also absolutely vital during the winter as this will help to prevent any pipes from becoming frozen and bursting during colder weather.

Clean Your Gutters

One of the biggest causes of leaks during the winter months is clogged gutters. As the summer starts to draw to a close, trees will begin to shed their leaves leaving gutters and drainpipes filled up with loose foliage. Once the blockage starts to become too much, water begins to pool, backing up into the guttering and leaking into the roof and down the walls of the house. Before the winter sets in, having your gutters thoroughly cleaned to ensure that they are free of debris is essential to prevent damage.

Draught-Proof

There’s nothing worse than a chilly draught when you’re trying to relax in your heated home during the winter, so make sure that you’ve checked the edges of your windows and doors for any cracks that draughts could sneak through. You can either get draught excluders or adhesive draught slips to cover the cracks and keep the cold air outside where it belongs, keeping you nice and warm and reducing the amount of energy escaping from your home.

It may not be winter yet, but it’s never too early to start making sure your home is fully prepared to be nice and warm when it gets cold outside.