Nine Essential Winter Upgrades For Your Home

Winter can be hard on your home, with more extreme weather causing a lot of wear and tear, that can be hard to repair. To help your home survive winter in better condition, get prepared and make some upgrades ready for the bad weather. 

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Clear your gutters

Before the weather becomes too bad for outside jobs, make sure you clear any leaves or other blockages from your guttering. If they’re clear, water can flow freely through them and drain correctly, instead of getting blocked and overflowing, causing damp. 

Check your roof

Make sure there are no leaks or other gaps for rain to get in and cause more damage. If you find any issues, bring in roofers immediately to fix the problem before it gets any worse. A leaking roof could end up causing a lot of damage to the rest of your home. 

Put in loft insulation

Insulation will help your home stay warm in winter, and cool in summer. Your home will be more energy efficient, which could help you save some money on the heating bill when temperatures drop. 

Lag your pipes

Wrap your pipes in lagging to prevent them from freezing. Frozen pipes cause a lot of issues, can even burst to make sure to protect them. Focus on key areas, like pipes in the garage, or that run outside. If your pipes do freeze, melt the blockage quickly with hot water or your hairdryer. 

Get your boiler serviced

Never skip your boiler’s service, as getting it checked ensures that it will run safely and efficiently. Try and time your service to just before the worst weather sets in, so you can be sure your boiler is in top condition to survive it’s hardest working period of the year. 

Think about security

The longer nights mean more hours of darkness, which can make it harder to spot someone attempting to break in. Move your valuables to where they can’t be seen from the windows to avoid tempting a would be burglar. Install motion sensor lights outside; these will be helpful for you if you arrive home in the dark and will put off anyone approaching the house who shouldn’t be. Lights on a timer inside give the impression that someone is home, even when you’re out. 

If you don’t have double glazed windows, now is the time to upgrade. Double glazing helps to keep the heat in, keeping your home warm and your heating bills down a little. Hang heavy curtains over windows and doors to keep even more warmth inside. 

Trim back trees

When temperatures start to freeze, tree branches can become brittle and break, causing a lot of damage if they fall onto your home. To avoid this, cut back any branches that would hit your home if they fell, before the weather turns cold. 

Go around your home and check for anywhere where cold air is getting in. Seal up any cracks or leaks to stop cold air getting in and warm air leaking out. 

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5 comments

  1. Yeah the branch thing is super important I remember it happened into my friend house the tree branch fell, fortunately, noon injured but there’s a hole in the house now, which cost them time and headache…

  2. Nice Post Amber..!! I like the tips, you mentioned in the article. Colder months will eventually creep around and before you know it you are facing an array of hassle problems.
    I like the point “Clear your gutters” and “Lag your pipes”.
    Regarding this two-point we recently we wrote a blog (Here is the link: https://bdsdrainage.co.uk/blog/top-property-care-tips-winter-approaches)
    Sorry for the link but I thought it might be helpful.

  3. When it comes to insulation, don’t dwell on the loft only. Look out to your walls, windows, and doors. If there are some cracks or holes, seal them. After all, about 35% of the home’s air escapes through poorly insulated walls, doors, and windows.

  4. Outdoor lighting is a good thing to provide home security. However, it may be not enough. Security cameras are a more reliable choice for this, because they display security presence, which deters criminals. Thus, consider installing 3-4 cameras watching your door, front lawn, and backyard.
    If you live in an apartment community, consider these simple, but effective practices that can help reduce crime in your community: https://sentriforce.com/news/how-to-reduce-crime-in-your-apartment-community/.

  5. […] prevent you from climbing ladders in the snow and to help you save money on heating bills, try some upgrades and home hacks for winterizing your home ahead of the next cold […]

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