How to Prepare your House for Winter

As the days are getting shorter and significantly colder this means the chances of freezing your pipes and catching the flu before Christmas is rising.  Having a warm house during the Winter months is vital, because how else will you be able to drink hot chocolate on the sofa in your PJs while watching your favourite boxset? 

We have created a mix of tips on how you can keep warm and prepare your house for Winter.  

Guttering - As the leaves start to fall, drainpipes and gutters will quickly start to fill with loose foliage. If not cleaned, the blockage could become too much for your gutter and water will start to back up and leak onto the roof and down the walls of the house. Ensuring you’re checking them once a week will help to ensure they are completely clear and free from grime and dirt, minimising water blockage. 

Bleed the Radiators -If you find your radiators are cold at the top and warmer on the bottom, it means your radiators have trapped air inside them which stops heat circulating properly. You’ll need to grab a towel and radiator key to bleed the radiator. By bleeding your radiator it will release the trapped air and will allow the radiator to run more efficiently.

Locate any Draughts - Checking the edges of your doors and windows will help to stop any draughts and cold breezes coming through your house. If you find you’ve got tiny gaps, use self-adhesive draught strips to line any gaps within doors and windows. You can also purchase draught excluders to place in front of door gaps, which come in a range of novelty shapes. 

Keep Pipes Constantly Warm - Something no one wants during Winter is burst pipes. It’s very common during the colder months but can be prevented. Using lagging foam, wrap your foam around your pipes. Doing this will help to reduce the amount of heat loss and will insulate them to stop them from freezing. 

Get your Boiler Serviced - Don’t leave it until Christmas to service your boiler. When a boiler isn’t maintained well it wastes more energy than needed and therefore costs more to run. Additionally, it also runs the risk of leaking carbon monoxide. Get your boiler serviced months before Christmas to ensure your house is warm for Winter. 

Clear out Drains - It’s best to assess the condition of the ground level drains around your house. In colder weather, they can become clogged with leaves, debris and weeds.   

Amend Broken Tiles - Look out for loose or missing tiles on your roof as this may allow rainwater to penetrate through loft spaces which can cause damp and extreme cases of rot. Left for too long, this can be an expensive and time-consuming job to fix.   

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