Five Checks Before Winter Weather Strikes

If you listen closely enough you can already hear people moaning about the bad weather. It’s going to get worse before it gets better which is horrible. You need to wrap yourself up in more layers of clothing than you can possibly imagine otherwise you might freeze to death. Even all those crazy people who say they enjoy the freezing cold winter don’t have it so easy. They can still slip on the ice and crack their head open the same as any of us. Winter is dangerous and we need to be prepared for the worst.

This is why it’s so important that your home is prepared for the cold nights that lie ahead. If you think there’s nothing left to do because it’s already cold then I’d hate to see what you’re going to be like when your roof collapses. Each year we should all take our time and sort out important things that will protect our home during winter, because if it doesn’t make it safer for us it definitely makes it safer for our bank accounts. Make sure you have these things sorted and you won’t go far wrong.

Unblock all your drains

The first thing you want to do is go around the outside of your home making sure all the drains don’t have any rubbish inside that’s clogging them up. This needs to be done now because when the snow falls it’s much harder to get access to them. Take your hose and run lots of water down each one. If everything goes according to plan the water should get away easily. You don’t want them to be blocked during the coldest time of the year.

Clean your garden

I presume you will still need to walk around in your garden once the snow falls. You might need to hang clothes out to dry if there is no rain, plus the kids might want to build a snowman. If there is anything hiding under the snow it could cause someone to have an accident. Just make sure your garden is clear at all times during the winter, so someone doesn’t fall and bang their head.

Inspect your roof

I hope you have good vision, or at least a pair of binoculars because you should be checking all over your roof before the weather gets any worse. All you need is a little crack in a tile and water could get in. It’s even worse if you have any missing because your home could fill up like a swimming pool. If you can’t check from the outside then try to climb up the attic and give the place a good check from the inside.

Seal your home

There’s a good chance your heating will be on a lot more during winter unless you prefer to sit in the freezing cold every day. That means a lot more heat will be escaping from your home if you don’t find a way to stop it. This could be keeping all windows closed, sealing any cracks around your home, or even blocking off the fire if you no longer use it. When all that heat escapes you are just wasting money and I know you don’t want to pay to heat the entire world.

Stop gutters from falling

When it gets very cold and there is a huge amount of water it will turn into a block of solid ice. This is pretty dangerous on the ground, but imagine if it was to happen above you and land on your head. That could happen when you don’t clean your gutters after the leaves fall from the trees. All the water won’t be able to drain away and suddenly you have this huge block of ice sitting in the gutters. It’s like a disaster waiting to happen.