Winter is well and truly here, and it’s starting to seem like it will be here forever. However, the warmer weather is closer than you think. Before you know it, those indoor games will give way to long days of playing outside in the fresh air and maybe even an early barbecue or two. In the meantime though, it’s definitely far too cold for that, but it’s not too cold to take care of a few routine bits of home maintenance that you might have forgotten to do before the winter properly set in. Below are a few things that might be worthy of your attention.
The Little
The little jobs are the easiest to put off simply because they are always something to do when you get a few minutes free, but you never seem to get those few minutes. It’s better to set aside a decent amount of time to tackle all of the little jobs at once. Bleed the radiators, treat any black mould that may have started to grow on those cold outer walls, seal those small cracks that have begun to appear, and so on. Bleeding radiators is a simple enough job, but many people get a little overwhelmed at the prospect of a little DIY and don’t want to risk flooding their home. You may not actually need to bleed your radiators if they are functioning correctly. You can tell quite easily by touching your radiators when they are hot; if the temperature is not uniform from top to bottom then there may be an air pocket that needs eliminating. Usually, the air will be at the top of the radiator, and so the top will be cold. All you have to do to fix this is get hold of a radiator key and an old towel. Wait until the heating is off and the radiators are all cold then locate the bleed valve at the top of the radiator. Use the towel to create a sort of shelf to catch any drips of water that may come from the valve and then begin to loosen it. You don’t have to turn it a huge amount, just enough to let the air escape. When water starts to come out through the valve you can close it off again. Job done.
The Big
The bigger jobs are less likely to need doing, but it is still important to thoroughly check everything over. Winter can have a huge impact on your home, specifically your windows, roof, and even insulation. If there is a leak in your roof, then that will need to be fixed and the damaged insulation replaced. When to replace windows, however, is a far more tricky question to answer. If you notice that they are particularly draughty or that the double glazing is misted up, the chances are that your windows are past it and need replacing. If you live somewhere particularly cold, or noisy, you may benefit from triple glazing which has excellent sound and thermal insulation properties.
There you have it, a few jobs that might need some attention as winter begins to slowly give way to the warmer weather. Get the jobs done and out the way early on and you will have more time to enjoy all that lovely sunshine when it finally arrives.
