With summer well and truly over it's time to start preparing for the very worst of the British weather. The Express report we are heading for the coldest winter since 1963 so below are some simple ways to help you prepare your home and garden for potentially the coldest winter in Britain for almost 60 years!
1. Prepare your garden for the worst
Ensure any plants that are particularly vulnerable to cold weather are moved inside and ensure garden furniture is safely stored and that your rubbish and recycling bins are stored somewhere secure to avoid any potential damage to your property in high winds.
2. Ensure your gutters are cleaned
Before the cold weather really sets in, it's also a wise move to ensure your gutters are cleaned of any debris. Gutters do an important job of carrying water away from your home to avoid causing any potential damage to your property from damp. Doing this now is a good idea before the cold and wet weather really sets in.
3. Keep your house warm and properly insulated
Making sure your house is properly insulated can make a massive difference to not just the temperature of your property, but also can make a significant difference in improving your home's energy efficiency too.
Read our top tips for saving energy at home - for example did you know that having double glazed windows rather than single glazed windows can save hundreds of pounds every year in energy bills.
Getting a new boiler is also one of the most cost effective ways of saving energy in your home, a new boiler and central heating system can be one of the most profitable home improvement projects to undertake ensuing your house is toasty warm for your family this winter with the added advantage of saving money on your utility bills.
4. Check and insulate your pipes
Making sure your pipes don't freeze over is also something that should be looked at. Burst pipes can be a real pain, so wrapping any cold pipes with thermal insulation can really help avoid this. This is particularly vital for any pipes that are in particularly cold areas such as in your garage or that run outside of your property.
Pipe insulation is really quite cheap, and has the added bonus of not just keeping your pipes from getting damaged or bursting but also making your property more energy efficient.
5. Bleed your radiators
Over time your radiators will need bleeding this occurs when packets of air get trapped inside causing the radiator to circulate hot water less effectively. Until you bleed your radiators you are probably using more energy than you need resulting in higher energy bills and a less efficient heating system.
6. Make sure to keep your heating on a timer
It's important in the colder months to keep your heating ticking over even when you're not at home. We recommend that your heating should be on for at least an hour a day to ensure your heating system and pipes run smoothly.
These tips should hopefully help you keep your house warm, safe and secure over the upcoming winter months. Have any good tips on preparing your property for winter? Do let us know and stay warm everyone!
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