Beat The Winter Blues

The days have begun to get shorter, the nights longer, leaves are falling off the trees, and there’s a distinct nip in the air; it can mean only one thing, winter is on its way.

With autumn just begun, we thought this was a perfect time to give you some tips and pointers on how to make your home winter-proof.

And with the official start to winter still weeks away, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare, and get your house ready for every eventuality the season can throw at you.

One of the biggest concerns over the winter months is, of course, your central heating system. With the low temperatures, pipes can sometimes freeze and burst, which can be costly to have repaired.

First off, we’d suggest you bleed your radiators prior to the winter months, so your central heating system works as efficiently as possible, and in a cost effective manner.

In severe weather, or if severe weather is forecast, you should leave your heating on day and night at your usual temperature setting.

And in case of emergency, it would be advantageous to make sure you know where your stop tap is, and that it works so that you can turn off the water supply if needed.

But now you’ve heated your home, how do you make sure the heat stays in and doesn’t escape?

Installing and implementing ways of keeping the heat in your home can be costly initially, but in the long term will save you money, so well worth the investment.

The following are great ways to keep your home warm throughout winter:

• Fit draught proofing to seal any gaps around windows and doors.
• Make sure that your loft has at least 10-11 inches (270 mm) of insulation. Any home with 4 inches (100 mm) or less should have it topped up.
• If you have wall cavities, make sure that they are insulated too.
• Insulate your hot water cylinder and pipes.
• Draw your curtains at dusk to help keep the heat generated inside your rooms.
• Make sure that your radiators are not obstructed by curtains or furniture.

It’s not all about the cold though. Throughout the winter months, it can get pretty windy too. So if high winds are forecast, make sure objects such as garden furniture or ladders are fully secured.

There have been occasions where garden furniture has been damaged due to high winds, or have even damaged homes, by being blown into them.

In addition, for your safety, due to poor light during winter, ensure any outside lighting is working properly, as they will aid you in identifying icy surfaces and deep snow.

There are also ways in which you can save energy through winter. A good tip is to set your heating to come on just before you get up and switch off after you’ve gone to bed.

If it’s very cold, set your heating to come on earlier and turn off later rather than turning the thermostat up.

Also, if you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room throughout the day and your bedroom just before you go to bed. And remember to close curtains and shut doors to keep heat in the rooms you use most.

These seem like really simple and obvious methods of saving energy, but you’d be surprised at just how much energy and money you can save while following these steps.

Is there something we’ve missed? Have you a tip to keep your home and finances in check over winter that you swear by? Share them with us; we’d love to hear them.

For more information on Cairn, and the maintenance services we provide, you can visit our website, drop us an email, or give us a call on: 0141 270 7886.

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