10 Tips to Prepare Your Home For Winter
When the UK is in the midst of winter, you’re likely to face the effects of the cold and damp that come with it. But these issues affecting your home and finances do not have to be inevitable.
You need to know how to prepare for winter when it comes to caring for your home and what to do should certain incidents take place.
A good thing to remember is that if you need to hire any equipment, we have all you need at Speedy Hire. Whether it is flooding recovery equipment or Access Towers to safely check your guttering, with 4-hour delivery and over 200 service centres across the UK, we are here for you in an emergency.
VIEW ALL WINTER TOOL HIRE & EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS
What To Do Before Winter
1. Check your roof and guttering
Leaves, twigs, and general sludge can all block guttering and downspouts, causing water to overflow. Often, we only notice this when we have water crashing down into the garden.
It must be fixed ASAP, but ensuring your guttering is ready for the worst of the rain is best practice. You can read our guide on how to clean guttering, which will give you some tips on what to do.
You will need to hire an access tower, a pressure washer and a small brush and shovel to clear all leaves and dirt. Always get somebody to help you when working at height, and wear PPE that will protect your eyes and hands from any debris.
If the water has a chance to get away right from the start, you’re less likely to suffer from any guttering-related issues, such as the pipe breaking because of the weight or your walls becoming damp with the excess water.
Also, check your windows and doors are sealed properly when closed, to prevent excess rainwater from getting into your home.
2. Know if you are at risk of flood
You should know your flood risk, even if you think it is low. The first thing to bear in mind when it comes to any weather-related risk is that prevention and protection are better than recovery. When it comes to floods, the use of sandbags and other flood defences is really important if you are at high risk.
But unfortunately, no matter how much we prepare, the winter weather can suddenly change, and flood waters can quickly rise before we have a chance to intervene.
It is worth knowing what to do in case your home floods. You will need water pumps and drying equipment and will also need to follow the guidance of your local authorities in terms of safety.
Here at Speedy, we have a range of submersible pumps and drying equipment available for hire, and with Click & Collect and 4-hour nationwide delivery available, you can start to clear away the water as soon as you’re allowed back into the property.
3. Test your heating
You don’t want to turn your heating system on when you need it the most and then realise that it isn’t working. Get your central heating and boiler serviced annually and maintain your radiators; ensure you do this in plenty of time before the cold weather sets in.
Bleed radiators, get your boiler serviced, and clean any filters and vents.
- SPEEDY TOP TIP: Having your heating on a timer, at a constant low temperature, will prevent pipes from freezing
A pipe which is frozen and then heats up can burst, causing your home to flood. To prevent frozen, burst pipes, you may want to consider lagging them.
Once you know it all works, you don’t have to start using it constantly. Using temporary heaters to take the chill off your home rather than adding to your gas bills is a good idea.
4. Know what to do in a power cut
The Met Office has some really good tips on what to do if you experience a power cut, from having batteries and torches to hand to keeping mobile phones and power banks charged and switching off appliances.
As well as being aware, it is also a good idea to think about generators for longer-term blackouts. This could be especially relevant for anyone living in remote areas where the power supply is particularly precarious.
If you do have a generator, you will need to have the fuel for the power supply to hand too. Also, consider what you need to prioritise for the generator and whether you can switch to any alternatives (such as a gas travel hob). Generators can be hired from Speedy if you need any additional power solutions.
Also think about spare lighting. Whether it be taking the bins out, watching the dog have a wander around the garden before bed, or checking the gate hasn’t blown open in the high winds, keep some torches and handheld lighting inside. It is a good idea to keep one by each door, as well as everyone in the home having a personal torch.
Candles, torches, and battery-powered lighting are all essential in the case of a power cut, too.
As well as the emergency lighting, think about what else you’d need in your power cut kit. Portable phone chargers should be available and fully charged, keep blankets to hand for warmth and try to have some books or board games to hand for entertainment.
5. Check your insurance
If something were to go wrong due to the weather, such as damp walls, floods or a huge repair required for your central heating, you need to know what is covered—and what is not.
It is worth taking out a home insurance policy which covers you for all of these things anyway. Even if you think they’re unlikely, you will be thankful for paying that few pounds extra per month for potentially thousands of pounds of cover.
Sometimes, no amount of preparation can help you prevent weather damage to your property. However, having a good insurance plan and hiring the necessary equipment from Speedy can help take a weight off your shoulders.
6. Seal gaps around windows and doors
Unless your windows and doors are brand-spanking new, a bit of heating will likely be lost through gaps around them (and cold draughts will be coming in).
You can purchase sealant strips which go around your windows and doors and won’t be opened over winter. Also, look at your loft insulation and get some installed if you don’t already have it in place.
There are plenty of energy-saving schemes available to help you save money on loft and wall insulation.
7. Know how to dry clothes indoors
You will have to dry your clothes indoors over winter if you don’t have a tumble drier. Brush up on how best to dry clothes indoors – hiring a dehumidifier will keep damp to a minimum, which will be the best option if you are constantly trying to dry wash loads for the whole family.
8. Check your pipes
Burst pipes happen because of the cold temperatures. Water expands as it freezes, which causes pressure on the pipes from the inside out. Insulate any pipes outdoors to prevent this from happening, or you could also suffer from flooding as well as the cold temperatures this winter.
- SPEEDY TOP TIP: Ensure your home insurance and buildings insurance covers flooding damage
Read our guide on how to recover from a flood. Hopefully, you won’t need it, but it is good to know how to act as quickly as possible.
9. Prevent damp
As well as using a dehumidifier when drying clothing, there are some other things you can do to keep damp at a minimum in the home over winter. Keep kitchen doors closed when cooking, and bathroom doors closed when showering.
Try to open the window in these rooms, if possible, when showering or cooking. When finished, wipe down and dry all surfaces. Wait until the moisture has gone before reopening the doors.
You need to keep moisture and damp to a minimum because it can have a detrimental effect on the walls, structure, and furniture of your property.
10. Check your home security
The darker nights mean an increased risk of burglaries and break-ins. From walking into your home through an unlocked door to breaking into your shed and stealing tools, darkness gives opportunists more time to get their job done.
Check that gates and fences are properly secured as a first barrier. Motion detection lighting is a good idea on main paths. Then, you’re going to want to check windows which aren’t used in winter are locked. Get into the habit of locking your front door immediately when you arrive home, too.
If you have CCTV cameras, check they’re working daily. You might want to update your security system if it isn’t working well in the dark, too.
Have insurance in place which you can rely on should worst come to worst.
IS THERE WINTER PRODUCT HIRE NEAR ME?
Yes. Speedy Hire, the UK's leading tool hire company, have a range of winter tools and home products for hire nationwide. Speedy has more than 200 service centres across the nation, hire counters in selected B&Qs and nationwide 4-hour delivery.
You’ll find all the tools you need right here. Why not start planning your next DIY project and open a Speedy account today online or visit us in-store?
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