Household Maintenance Jobs to Complete Before the Winter

In an ideal world, we would get all of our household maintenance jobs done in the spring and summer months when the weather is warmer, and the risk of rain is low. Unfortunately, life has a way of not sticking to a schedule and sometimes things end up getting delayed. Eventually, you’ll need to get around to them, for the good of your home and in some cases, for the good of your family, so here are some tips for preventing autumn/winter DIY blues.

Check Your Radiators

Heating engineers in your area will soon be filling up their calendars with last minute maintenance and emergency breakdown jobs so you’ll want to ensure your heating system is working tiptop before the winter chill makes its way across the country. Make sure to check your boiler has had its annual maintenance – if not, this must be done by a qualified engineer.

Checking your radiators is a good DIY tip for ensuring your heating system works efficiently. With your heating on, ensure the radiator feels hot from top to bottom (taking care not to burn yourself). If you notice any cold spots, you might need to bleed your radiators to remove the trapped air, should no air come out, you might have a build-up of limescale particles that will need a circulating treatment to break down and remove.

Tidy Up the Exterior

The exterior of your house takes the onslaught of howling winds and harsh rains so make sure that you’ve given it a tidy up to prevent loose fixtures being blow down and moisture making its way into your home.

Clear out gutters of all leaf litter and debris to ensure there is no water leaking out and onto your exterior walls as this can increase the risk of penetrating damp in your home. Also, check the joins between guttering and downpipes and ensure that downpipes are pointed directly over a clear drain. This will prevent water spilling out onto your front garden or path and creating an icy slip risk.

Any exterior pipes need to be sufficiently insulated with lagging to prevent freezing. Frozen pipes are one of the most common issues during the winter months and can cause your boiler to stop working should your condensate pipe freeze over. Frozen pipes are at risk of bursting, which can cause an issue with flooding in your home should a pipe burst under your sink or in the wall so it’s important to ensure any pipes leading to the outside are lagged.

Winter-Proofing the Garden

It’s unlikely you’ll be spending much time in your garden when the winter chill occurs so it’s the perfect opportunity to pack up the garden furniture ready for the wet weather. Any soft furnishings should be wrapped up to prevent damp and stored safely away in sheds or outdoor storage containers away from moisture.

If you’ve got loose or broken paving, consider replacing this before the icy weather starts, to prevent further damage occurring to walkways or patios. Although take care when using concrete pours in cold weather as it can take much longer to cure, potentially trapping moisture which will freeze in below zero temperatures, causing internal expansion and leading to cracks in your newly laid concrete. Visit this website for more information on concrete repairs and protecting your fresh concrete against damaging moisture.

One of the most important jobs to carry out in the garden, in order to protect your home, is to trim back any dead or dying trees and bushes. Should the wind pick up, this will prevent branches from breaking loose and crashing into your property and you can always keep the cuttings aside to throw on an autumn bonfire.

Being proactive regarding your home maintenance jobs is the best way to ensure your home stays safe and secure throughout the winter months, keeping your family comfortable and warm, even when it’s minus degrees outdoors.