Many people wait for winter to come to wear their favourite pullover sweater and all their favourite comfy wears. You will also start making the most liked dishes that will keep you warm in the season. But you tend to forget one thing that’s important to do before the winters begin. It’s to check your house for damage, especially the roof and gutters. Shocked? Yes, you need to check for damages before the season starts to avoid having a bad experience.
Here are steps to keep your home prepared for winters.
Seal the Heat
You cannot let the heat escape the house. You need to seal it in. So the first thing you need to do is to check the doors and windows for rattle sound. This sound means, there’s a gap that needs to be sealed or fixed. Caulking the gaps will keep the heat in the room. Caulking means a sealant that helps in keeping the heat in.
Gutter Hygiene
Use an old tong from the kitchen to clean up the tight spaces in the gutters; it’s easy to pick up the leaves and other waste. Later, you can rinse the area with high-pressure water. Make sure you don’t push the debris down the pipe.
Unstick Old Drawers
Sticky drawers are common during winters. The wood can swell and get stuck because of the moisture in the air. A quick fix for this is to rub the candle along the wooden runner and the edges. Repeat the same when the problem reoccurs.
Squeaky floorboard
The squeaky noise in the floorboard is usually due to the dry moisture in the house. This dry moisture may lose moisture, shrink up and rub against each other causing the squeaky, annoying noise. A slight squeak with no underlying problem can be solved with the help of talcum powder.
The Sliding Doors
The wood expands or shifts in this weather when there’s a drop in humidity level. The wood might get stuck in the track and you might find it difficult to move it. Remove the grime and dust from both sides of the track and use a vacuum to suck out the dirt. Later, scrub the area with a dry scrubbing brush and apply multi-purpose oil to the tracks.
Check the drains
Protecting faucets are important before the winters. Disconnect your garden hose and shut off the outdoor faucet. This way you would be damaging them when the temperatures drop. The drains need to be well maintained before the winters, you need to make sure that the rainwater can easily drain away from the sides of the home. The garden beds shouldn’t be built high up against the wall outside; it will help you maintain it to be damp-proof.
Trim out the branches
The tree branches need to be trimmed down before the winters. How?The same way as you do during the rainy season. If the branches aren’t exactly above the ceiling, you don’t need to bother about it, but if it is, then you need to trim it down or remove the branches. These branches can be used to make a bonfire or in the house for your chimney. These branches during winters will make a mess on the gutter and will be trouble to clean up later.
Is your chimney winter ready?
Check your chimney before the winters for gaps or cracks. You need to make sure that it’s ready for the winters so that when you start using the fire, there are no embers that escape. And make sure you remember the previous point, that’s to trim the branches. In this case, you have to trim the branches that are near and above the chimney so that the tree doesn’t catch fire.
Chipped Glass
If you think you can repair the chipped glass by replacing it before the winters begin, then you should consider it instead of using the temporary repair. Else, this simple temporary solution can solve the problem of keeping the winter rains outside the house. Apply coats of clear nail polish and allow each layer to dry in between.
Smoke Alarm
Due to electrical faults by using a lot of hire auto electrical items, the smoke alarms might not work well. To ensure that it works well and is maintained properly, you need to dust it carefully. To prevent the insects to nest in and around the smoke alarm, spray the insect repellent. Also, press the test button in the unit to check if it’s working properly.
Upgrade your boiler
If your heater is relatively old and you think you can work with it through the winter season, then you are wrong. It’s better that you buy a new one to avoid any sort of problems. And if it’s a new boiler, then it won’t take a longer time to heat the water and will take in less energy and electricity.
Conclusion
If you haven’t made any preparations for the winter to come, you should consider reading the above pointers for an idea. You might have a different approach to solving the issues, but in case of that fail, you have this blog to help you.
Author Bio:
Hi everyone, I am Ariana Mortenson. I am a professional writer and blogger. I write on various niches in a way that it’s understandable and appealing to the people. I aim to achieve a difference through my writing which allows you to make informed and valuable choices. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
