10 Things you need to make your home ready for this winter
The fall is almost over and the winter breeze would start blowing soon. The chilling temperatures and short days would make you want to curl up in front of a fire and hibernate, but before you do so it is imperative that you protect your home from winter bites. To prevent heavy damage, you should look through these ten simple tasks.
Carpets and rugs for warmth: If you do not have carpets laid down in your home, get one before the winter. Thick carpets and rugs in rooms can help you from getting cold feet literally. Heavy carpets and woollen rugs help in heat dissipation and won’t allow the floor to turn icy cold.
Clean & prepare fireplace mantels: Make space for a fireplace or if you have a hearth, then check it to see if it’s in working condition. Unused hearths can be a good nesting places for birds and lizards and can also form cracks. So check for broken bricks and if you find any issues, repair and seal them. Get the chimney cleaned properly so that it is not clogged with fallen leaves and branches.
Seal the windows: This is an important task in saving energy. Seal loose and drafty windows to keep the heat in. This will also go easy on your energy bills. Caulking cracks and narrow, thin lines between windows is the simplest way to ensure heat is not lost. You can also cover the windows with a thin plastic film and tape it down.
Clear out gutters: Keep the gutters from clogging up as this might hinder the flow of rain and melted snow. Drainage blockage would result in household leaks and damage to the foundation so clean your gutter of everything from fall leaves and twigs to caked mud and anything that threatens to clog the drain.
Beware of winter storm: A blizzard storm can be tiresome to wait out and you should be wary of the sudden, ferocious winds battering at your doors. Since you will be holed up inside during a storm, keep at hand the necessary items you would need during that time. An emergency kit should be kept stocked and ready to use at all times. The kit can include batteries, a flashlight, candles, matches and a lighter; warm clothes and blankets. It’s also safer to keep at hand a battery-powered radio and a first aid kit as well as three days’ worth of food and water supplies.
Maintain heating systems: Before the winter starts, check and double check your heating systems and ensure that they are in working order. If your heater is batter operated, make sure you have adequate battery backup and if you use fuel, keep extra fuel in store.
Pad your pipes: Frozen pipes are a big menace and can burst when the weather gets too cold. Insulate the pipes running through your house to prevent leaks and floods. Cover exposed pipes with insulating materials, especially the joints and bends.
Winter-proof your Bedroom: It’s not so easy to fall asleep if you are freezing cold, so take measures to ensure adequate heating is provided in your bedroom. Apart from sealing the windows and cracks, use heavy, thick blankets and bedspreads for warmth. If you have a heating system inside the room, check it for leaks and ensure that it is in good working condition. Put curtains in windows to insulate the room.
Insulate ventilators and open spaces: When you insulate your house, take care not to miss out on ventilators and small open spaces that are left behind exhaust fans and grills. Stick a film across the open areas and if you are able to fix curtains over them, then do so to prevent heat loss. Exhaust fans can be shut with flaps so you need to only open them after the cold season passes.
Clean your garage: Just like you would do a spring cleaning, do a fall cleaning of the garage. You would a lot of leftover stuff from the summer that are no longer used and simply take up space. Organise the materials according to use and keep the summer materials to the very end while keeping the winter necessities in the front for easy access.
