Before you get too comfortable with the idea of hibernating over winter, you must ensure that you have made your home as winter-ready as possible. You do not want to find yourself in the position of having an avoidable emergency on your hands or spending winter regretting how a day of work would have saved you from months of irritation. Take advantage of the remaining sunny days of autumn and tackle the to-do list that you have been trying to avoid. Here are 3 tasks that you need to pay attention to before the arrival of winter.
1. Clean out the gutters
It will always be a mystery as to how so much debris can accumulate in gutters. Failing to clean your roof gutters annually can cause serious structural damage to your home. Water can infiltrate the brickwork or stucco and leak down through the walls and damage the fabric and foundations of the building. For the sake of an hour of your time, you can prevent a potential disaster.
2. Paint the exterior of your house
Not only will a fresh lick of paint add value to your property and increase its curb appeal, but it will also help to protect it from the elements too. The exterior of your home has to withstand the soaring heat of summer and the harshness of winter rain, wind, and snow. Maintaining the exterior paintwork provides a protective coating that restricts the likelihood of household molds and mildews on the inside, and limits the damage caused by prolonged rainfall.
It is worth getting the job done professionally as the exterior of your house is the first impression that people get of your home, and they will be able to tell you if any other remedial work needs to be undertaken to maintain your home. Companies such as decorating provide a free quote and will not leave a job until you are 100% satisfied.
3. Put the garden to bed
You know the adage: fail to prepare and prepare to fail. You need to put your garden to bed to prepare it for dormancy over winter and blooming spring. Clean up debris, sweep fallen leaves, and cut back your perennials. It is best to wait until after the first frost so that any milder weather doesn’t encourage new growth which then dies as the temperatures drop. You need to remove dead annuals and harvest any fruit or vegetables to reduce the risk of them attracting vermin and setting seeds where you don’t want them to grow.
Do not send your leaves to landfill, use them as mulch on your beds – a free fertilizer! A layer of mulch reduces the chance of springtime weeds from being able to germinate. Prepare your beds for spring by weeding them before adding manure and fertilizer, and get those spring flowering bulbs in the ground before the first frost. Tag the plants that you can divide in spring because after winter you are unlikely to remember exactly which ones can be!
