The colder season is going to start approaching soon, and it’s important that you are ready for it. It’s also important that you ensure that your home is ready for it, and the colder season can be really tough on some homes, depending on the weather, depending on where you live and a few other factors. Having said that, it’s then up to you to make sure that you’re doing everything in your power to protect your home from any and all possible problems. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should be doing to get your home ready for the colder season. Keep reading if you’re interested in finding out more.
Clear Out Your Gutters
The first thing that we want to say is that you need to clean out your gutters. Colder season tends to be when they are going to fill up more frequently with the changing of the weather, so you need to make sure that they are empty as much as you can. It’s not the most pleasant job and we are very aware of that, but it’s an important one that needs to be done, otherwise you could end up with leaking gutters causing dampness in your home.
If you do not want to do this yourself, there are professionals who can do this for you. Or, we’re sure that there is someone in the neighborhood who would do this for you for a little cash incentive. Just make sure that the job has been done properly, as the last thing that you need is to pay for someone to sort this, only to have to go back over it yourself.
Get Up And Check The Roof
Getting on the roof might not be high up on the list of things that you enjoy doing, but it’s something that you should be doing regularly anyway. In fact, it’s something that you should be doing no matter what season it is, as roofs are vulnerable no matter what time of year it is. Yes, they are designed and built to withstand a lot, but that doesn’t mean that every now and then they won’t get cracked or something. There is only so much that they can take at the end of the day, and you need to be checking them constantly.
Colder season when the heavy rain and the storms come in is when they are their most vulnerable though, which means that you’ve got to ensure that they are in optimal condition. Get up there and have a look for any cracks, anywhere that could be the source of a leak, any kind of loose shingles and so much more.
If there is something that needs sorting and you can’t do it yourself, then you need to get in touch with a roofer asap so that they can fit you in. They can then come and take care of the issue, giving you the peace of mind that you need throughout winter that your roof should hold. If there’s another issue at any point, get them back out to get it sorted.
Reseal All Of The Windows
It’s also a good idea to check the sealant on your windows. This is what is responsible for drafts that you may feel in your home, so it’s best to just go check this before the cold weather appears. But how can you check for them? To be honest with you, the most effective way is to place your fingers by the seal, running them along it to see if you can feel any kind of air pushing through. If you can, you know the seal is weak or broken in that area and needs to be sorted. If that’s the case though, you might as well just reseal the whole window to be on the safe side.
It’s not too difficult to do, but if you don’t have massive levels of confidence in your DIY skills, then you can get someone to come and sort the problem for you. You don’t have to do it alone if you do not want to.
Check All Doors Shut Properly
A common problem that people don’t even know they have is their doors not shutting properly. Of course, this means the cold air is going to be able to get into the home, and not even just that, but the home is going to be vulnerable. As such, you need to make sure that you are checking all of the doors are shutting properly so that you don’t have to worry about this. If there is an issue, get it fixed asap.
Check Your Heating
The last thing that we’re going to mention is that you need to check your heating before the cold season starts. Do this while it’s still warm to ensure that it works and you don’t have to panic about this when your home is freezing. This gives you time to book an appointment with a HVAC engineer to get this sorted before the cold starts to hit, even if they are busy.
It’s absolutely imperative that your heating is working during the cold season, or else you could find yourself getting sick, or having more problems than you bargained for. Nobody wants to freeze in their own home, and even though heating can be expensive to run, it’s important to have the option to run it.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know some of the things that you are going to need to do in order to get ready for the colder season once again. It’s nearly here, and unless you want to be caught unprepared, it’s important that you start preparing now. We know it might seem a little early, but the weather is already starting to get a little colder, and you don’t want to be underprepared when the time comes. Plus, nobody ever got hurt by being too prepared, did they?