British weather isn’t known for being predictable, so it’s important to winterise our homes and prepare for any eventuality. Houses are more susceptible to winter problems than we might like to admit, and we usually only notice when something goes wrong.
The old adage is definitely accurate here: prevention is better than the cure. If we work to winterise our homes now, we can prevent many of the common problems which can catch us off guard. We can’t predict everything that might happen to your home over winter, but we can give you some important tips and a maintenance checklist to help.
How Do I Prepare My House for Winter?
Start by thinking back to last winter. Were there any niggling issues which irritated you over the winter months? Perhaps there was a draught coming through a window frame that made one room cold on an evening or leaves clogging the guttering caused some damp problems.
It’s easy to forget about these problems in the summer months, but to prevent them occurring again we should take the right steps now.
Also, don’t forget that our house is only one part of our property. It’s also important to think about how to prepare your garden for the winter. With the potential for hanging baskets and bins to shift in bad weather and cause obstructions, think outside the house as well as outside the box and prep for the worst-case scenario. It’s unlikely your household waste bin is going to fly into the road and cause a traffic accident but why take the risk when you could just tie it down instead?
How Do I Prepare My Windows for Winter?
Windows are especially vulnerable to harsh weather conditions, so we should always put checks on these at the top of our winter maintenance checklist.
Consider these maintenance tasks:
- Improve weatherstripping around window frames and replace where necessary
- Check for any decaying or rotten wood around windows and repair or replace
- Fix any small holes or vulnerabilities with insulation tape or foam to prevent draught
It could be that your windows need professional repair – book this sooner rather than later to ensure you’re set for the cold weather.
How Should I Secure My Home Over Winter?
Don’t forget that winter brings with it more risks around the security of your home – both in terms of its physical safety against the harsher weather conditions and its security against unwelcome visitors who find it easier to break-in during the winter.
Think about these tasks:
- Prepare the exterior of your home by moving anything that could cause damage to the house such as hanging baskets or which could be used to help someone get inside such as a chimenea placed against the wall
- Check outbuildings are secure and weatherproofed as much as possible
- Store your car in a safe place
- Check your insurance coverage is adequate
Security is about ensuring you and your home are safe over the winter, so taking any steps towards that are positive – even if it’s something as simple as tying your bins together to stop them rattling around in the wind.
How Can I Winterise My House on a Budget?
There are a surprising number of winterising tasks you can undertake on a budget and with a few basic household tools, while others will need professional assistance.
Check if these are necessary for your home this winter:
- Insulate your home. Wherever possible, you should prepare your home for winter with extra insulation. If you’re wondering how to insulate your house for winter, think about the locations where heat is lost. We’ve already mentioned checking the areas around your windows but also consider whether larger measures such as loft insulation are a good idea for now and the future.
- Bleed your radiators. Ensure your heating is running at full power by bleeding the radiators and increasing the amount of heat they produce.
- Clear the gutters and drains. Autumn and winter bring with them plenty of leaves and other debris, so cleaning out your gutters and drains can keep water flowing freely around the outside of your property and prevent any unwanted water making its way inside. This is one way to prevent damp in winter as unmanaged flows of water against flashing could cause serious problems.
- Move garden furniture if possible. Relocating garden furniture away from the home protects both the furniture itself and your house – stopping it becoming a hazard in high winds. For best results, clean your garden furniture before stowing it away: you’ll thank us in April.
- Check outside lighting is working. Simply replacing the bulbs and cleaning the lights could make your home more secure over the winter by deterring thieves.
One final tip: it’s important to keep a house ventilated over the winter to prevent the build-up of condensation. That can lead householders to question what is the ideal temperature for a house in winter.
When you’re not in the property, the important thing is to stop the house becoming too cold and pipes freezing etc. Setting your thermostat at a constant 15 degrees can stop the home heating up and cooling too frequently. Remember to turn it up if you’re at home and feeling a little chilly!
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