Winter is only around the corner which is hard to believe due to the summer which the UK has had. Some would argue we haven’t had a summer at all which makes the idea of preparing for winter even worse. Nevertheless, we still need to prepare our homes for the harsh weather conditions that we can expect.
Why Think About Winter Now?
There are a few reasons why you need to start thinking of winter. One of the main reasons is that winter is one of the most expensive times of the year. That is due to bills being more expensive and the heating being turned on for longer. Not to mention you have the festive period where you spend lots of money on Christmas dinner, decorations and presents for friends and family. All of which can be quite costly to the bank account.
Another reason why you need to start preparing your home for winter is because the temperatures tend to drop in October. We can also see below freezing temperatures by December which means your home will be much colder than usual.
Fair to prepare then prepare to fail is a life motto you should stick to with your home. Now, there are many things you need to do to get ready for winter so let’s take a look at how you can prepare your property for the winter months.
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Insulate Your Property
Home insulation is an absolute must for a property and for an old home that is around 50 years old, you need to ensure you have the right insulation. For example, if you have doubts that you don’t have insulation inside your walls, getting this resolved before winter will be difficult. Consider buying insulated wall panels in the rooms that you are in the most. This includes your living room and bedroom.
For any tiny gaps in your interior and exterior walls, buy insulation expanding foam to help fill in those gaps and keep the heat in and the cold out. Both wall panels and insulation foam are great DIY projects you can do yourself to ensure your home is prepared for winter.
If you have a conservatory, you may find it difficult to keep warm during the summer unless you keep your heater turned on. The best way to keep your conservatory warm for winter would be to purchase conservatory insulation. Yes, you can get conservatory insulation specialists to install this for you or you can buy the insulation yourself. Companies such as CI Group have put years of research into developing a product that can improve the temperature of your conservatory.
Draught Proof Windows and Doors
A simple yet very effective method to keep your home warm once you have put the heating on. Again, this is another great DIY project that you can do yourself and will help you reduce your energy bills by £35 per year.
There are a couple of options that you can do to ensure you have a good draft excluder. Firstly, you can buy draft excluder strips for at the bottom of your door; however, if you want to get more creative and hands-on than that then you can. Consider using old clothes and blankets and putting them up so you just have the fabric. Next, you want to sew the fabric together and fill that fabric with stuffing material. Make sure all of your corners and sides are covered so you look like a professional. Once you have stuffed your draft excluder, you can then sew up the ends so you can keep the filling inside.
For your windows, purchase draft excluder strips for the edges of your windows. This is a great way to ensure you keep the heat inside your home. Plus, this is inexpensive so you don’t need to worry about breaking the bank to install it yourself.
Insulate Your Pipes
Finally, pipe insulation. This is for any exposed pipework that is metal. The last thing you want to happen is for your pipes to crack and cause leaks in your home, as this can cause a lot of damage to your home, which is not what you want at any time of year, never mind during the winter. If you have access to your pipes underneath your floorboards, then consider installing pipe insulation there as well.
Again, pipe insulation is very cheap and is easy to fit around your pipes. It will only take you a couple of hours max, depending on how much pipework you have to insulate. It is certainly worth the investment if you wish to reduce any maintenance issues during the winter.
Summary
There are many other things you can do to ensure you are keeping your home protected during the winter; however, those mentioned above are the most important. Not only will they reduce your heating bills but they will also reduce heat loss and prevent any maintenance issues during the winter. Remember, it is important you have your boiler serviced before winter arrives but you cannot do this yourself. Companies such as CI Group, specialise in both insulation and till roofs for conservatories; these experts are equipped with the skills to help keep your conservatories warm through the winter and cool during the summer.
