Summer is over, the days are getting shorter, and the evenings are getting chilly. Although it isn’t quite winter yet, it definitely isn’t far off, and neither are the pesky home problems that come with it. As magical as the colder months can be, they bring wind, rain, snow, hail, and more, all of which can damage your home, sometimes even making it uninhabitable. To save yourself time, money, and unnecessary worry, here are seven common winter problems you may face and what you can do to prevent them.
1. Boiler Breakdown
One of the worst things that you can face in the dead of winter is heating problems or a boiler breakdown. This can be an absolute nightmare and a cold one at that. To prevent this issue, you should arrange a professional to come out and service your boiler to ensure that it is working efficiently. Ideally, you should do this before the winter weather hits, as boiler repairer tend to be busy during this time. If your boiler is ten or more years old, a replacement may be needed.
2. Leaking Roof
Roof damage is rarely noticed throughout summer when the weather is warmer and a lot less wet. Unfortunately, the moment a winter storm hits, even the smallest of leaks could cause major damage to your property, ruining your belongings and making your home unsafe to live. For this reason, it’s always a sensible idea to have your roof looked over by a professional before any huge issues occur. You should also look out for damage yourself, by checking your attic.
3. Rodent Infestation
As cold as it may be outside, you should count your blessings that you have a warm and dry bed to sleep in each night. Unfortunately, rats and mice can’t say the same, which is why they might try and take yours. For this reason, you should arm yourself with the number of a local pest control company. You should also do what you can to prevent these pests from getting into your home by keeping doors and windows closed and blocking any other potential entrances.
4. Ice Dams
Ice dams form when there is a build up of ice and water in your guttering preventing snow from running off the roof. This can lead to roof leaks, damage to your walls, and dangerous icicles that could break off and fall, injuring anyone who might be below. To combat this problem, you need to clean out your gutters before the first snowfall of the year. You should also regularly check this guttering to make sure that it’s draining as it should.
5. Chimney Fires
Believe it or not, house fires are a lot more common during winter than they are in summer. The main reason for this problem are people lighting their fireplaces before taking the time to have them professionally cleaned. This is an issue because of the buildup of the flammable byproduct on your chimney walls. Thankfully, a cleaning company would be able to remove all of this in no time at all. You should also make sure that you use hardwood, rather than paper and trash.
6. Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes are a major issue throughout winter, often leading to leaks and bursts that can completely flood your home. To remedy this, you should insulate all of your pipes using foam lagging and keep your heating on at all times, even if you’re not home. You may even want to leave your faucets dripping slightly. This may be a waste of water, but it ensures that the water in your pipes is constantly moving and doesn’t have time to sit and freeze.
7. Mini Draughts
While draughts in your home won’t cause any huge damage or injury, they can massively impact your energy bills, leaving you paying a lot more than you need to heat your home. With that in mind, you should go around your property looking for and blocking any entryways for cold air. Typical areas include pet doors, leaks around windows and doors, keyholes, and letter slots. You may also want to invest in attic insulation, to prevent heat from escaping out of your roof.
As wonderful a time as it can be, there are a whole host of issues that can occur around the house during the winter period. While some of these problems are unavoidable, many can be prevented with some simple precautions and home maintenance. To save yourself money, time, and unnecessary stress, make sure that you prepare for the common problems listed above.
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