How to Prepare Your Home For Winter

 As winter time comes around it is important that you make some small changes in the home in order to make sure that it is ready for the cooler conditions. There are many risks which the changing weather poses to your property, and it is why aspects like dry fire protection are so important. Preparing your home for winter really doesn’t take much by way of effort, the key is knowing what to change and tweak, and ensuring that you do it before the colder weather starts. Here is how to easily prepare your home for the winter months.

Clearing Your Gutters

If you have gutters which are filled with dust, leaves and debris then this is going to cause you an issue once that colder weather begins. When the temperature hits freezing this too will all freeze and become very heavy. The result is cracked and damaged guttering and blocked drainpipes, which of course should be avoided. Giving your gutters a clear out will ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Fire Preparation

It is also important that you look at your fire system installation before the winter months, as this is the most probable time of the year when fires can happen. The main causes are broken heating systems, portable heaters and pipe damage. Using portable heaters should be done with a timed plug, to ensure that they cannot be left on for too long. In terms of protecting your pipes it is important to check that there is no damage before winter, as this can freeze and burst pipes, which can lead to all kinds of problems. And finally make sure that early warning devices like smoke alarms are fully operational before the winter months.

Flush Your Sprinklers

Sprinklers in the garden are great for keeping your plants healthy and your lawn lush, but they can cause a problem in the winter. If water is held in the sprinklers and pipes then it can freeze and cause damage. To avoid this turn off the water supply and turn your sprinklers on, to flush out any existing water.

Outdoor Decking and Furniture

Anything such as furniture and barbecues which can be stored away during the winter should be moved, and it is also important to add some protection for your deck. Making sure that it is stained is imperative and then you can simply add some tarpaulin to the deck in order to give it the protection from any cold temperatures and falling debris.

 Checking Windows and Doors

This is also a great time to check the seal on your windows and doors, which can let cold air in during wintertime. If you have any gaps in the seal you are going to be losing warm air from the heating, so make sure that you caulk any cracks which you find.

And finally make sure that you have tested your heating system to ensure that it works well. After a long lay-off heating systems can encounter problems, so testing it before the cold weather starts makes perfect sense.