(Akiit.com) Unfortunately, summer is over. Now that September is in full swing, gone are the days of strappy tops and cute skirts and we are entering the realm of hot coffee and knitted jumpers. When the weather changes in the second half of the year to welcome in the cold, there are certain checks and jobs we should do in and around the home to prepare for harsh weather.
Today we will share some of the simple household jobs you should do this autumn to prepare for the winter and keep the home safe and secure.
Turn on the heating
When the heating system hasn’t been used for a long stretch of time there is always a worry that it may not turn back on. The last thing you want to do is wait until the middle of November when the weather is freezing to switch on the heating and find that it is broken. Now is the time to check this by turning on the heating and running it for an hour or so. It might be a little too warm, but it will ensure that the system reboots and works to full capacity.
Check your draught-proofing
One of the things you might not realise if you are a relatively new homeowner is that the doors and windows often have small gaps in them which let air into and out of the home. This is because wood and plastic expand and contract in different weather conditions and therefore a small gap is needed to give them room. However, to lock in the heat in your home, it is important to cover these gaps with draught excluders to keep the home warm.
Clear your gutters
The gutters are an important element of the home and they run all around the perimeter of the house to collect rainwater and drive it away from the foundations of the house. If you haven’t cleared your gutters for a while now is the time, as debris and falling leaves can block the drain and cause water build up. Clear this out and fix any cracked guttering. If this task is too big for you, you can always hire a professional gutter cleaning company that can use the latest equipment to clean even the grimiest gutters – accordingly, searching for Gutter Cleaning Newark online, or searching for similar gutter cleaning professionals in your local area can help you to plan your next steps.
Fix the roof
It is always important to consider Roof installations and maintenance before the winter because the roof will be the main method for air to flow out of the house and cold air to enter. To ensure that heat stays in the home and the cold air stays out, you should get someone to come and fix any wonky or missing tiles and even consider roof insulation which can make a huge difference to the room.
Secure your home
As soon as the days grow shorter and the nights are dark, criminals come out to play. Now that there is a significantly bigger cover of darkness for them to take advantage of, burglars can and will try to break into homes more frequently. To keep the home safe and ensure that your home is secure, you can install new locks, an alarm system, exterior cameras and lights. This will protect the home and make it less likely for a criminal to target you.
Staff Writer; Craig Jacobs