Prepping Your Home For Winter Weather in Ten Simple Steps

Now that the winter is dawning on us swiftly there isn’t a better time to prep your home for the forthcoming bad weather. It is very important to be well prepared in advance of the winter months and not leave it until its too late.

Here are some simple steps that can be taken to help protect your home throughout the winter months from weathering.

1. Do you have any exterior pipes that need to be lagged ? If you do this it will prevent them from freezing up, therefore reducing the risk of pipes splitting.
2. Apply draught excluders to doors, and windows, to help keep the cold out, and heat in.
3.  Check the roof for broken tiles, or slates that could cause leaks if not repaired ASAP. Often these will be visible from ground height. 
4.   Clear guttering of any loose debris that may have fallen from roof or surrounding areas and also check rubbers on joints for leaks. 
5. Any external taps should be lagged to prevent freezing which would  make them unusable. 
6. If you are planning on going on holiday, it is always a good idea to drain your heating system to prevent pipes from freezing.
7. Check exterior brickwork for small cracks, if these are not patched in they can increase in size and cause damp. 
8. If you have steel roofs check they are secured correctly, just in case of high winds, which can detach them from the frame work. 
9.  Check any concrete flooring surrounding your property for cracks, if water is to penetrate the concrete it can cause cracks to increase in size and can also cause damp in the property. 
10.  If flat roofs have any cracks in them it is best to patch these up. If you don’t frost can penetrate the surface, and cause problems.