Winter seems to arrive without any notice and suddenly it’s much colder than we expected. Everyone had the good intentions to prepare for the cold weather but we rarely seem to get round to it and get caught out by the freeze. Luckily there are a few easy checks and best practices to implement before the icy condition set in. You can check your insulation, check your garage, keep a plumber’s number close by, and make sure you have back-up power. This will guarantee to breeze through the winter with ease.
Check Your Insulation
When the winter hits the temperatures tend to drop quickly and your energy bills go up just as fast. You can avoid higher energy bills in winter and ensure your home is toasty warm by checking your insulation, investing a little, and employing some best practices.
The first thing to do is check your windows. This is where most household heat is lost. If you don’t have double or triple glazing invest in some it will save you money long term. Otherwise buy heavy curtains to lock in the heat. Another tip is to turn the heating on only in the rooms you presently occupy.
Check Your Garage
The garage is an often forgotten space in the house. It tends to be used for storage, cars, and tools. As long as the garage door is operational and there’s no damp creeping in anywhere, there is usually no reason to spend much time there.
But it’s a good idea to fix it up in preparation for winter. Make sure the remote on the garage door is working and the seals are all functional. Remember that water damage can occur because of a damaged roof, too, so look at switching to a flat roof, which is better at keeping water out. The flat roof cost can be highly affordable! You don’t want the garage becoming damp. But foam insulation and cover any bare pipes in the garage to protect them from bursting.
Find a Plumbing Service
There is never a good time to lose your heating, but in the winter it’s especially bad. The last thing you want to do is search the Internet for a plumber while your home or water is freezing. Before the winter hits seek out a good local plumber who can reach you in emergencies.
A plumber can take care of a broken boiler, burst pipes, leaks, drainage issues, or anything else you come up against at short notice in the winter. If you don’t have a convenient plumbing service handy you might have to wait hours, days, or even weeks to get your home back to normal.
Back-up Power
Picture this, it’s winter and you’ve taken care of everything. You’ve insulated your home and the pipes in the garage, you’ve checked over your house, and you have the number of a plumber ready to go – then the lights go off. Somehow there’s a power cut and you don’t have any source that provides backup power.
In this case, you have to go rummaging around in the cupboards and garage for lights while you think what to do next and just hope the grid comes back on-line soon. Or, you could prepare for that eventuality too and have some lanterns ready or a backup power switch.
