Getting Your Home Ready for Winter:
A Comprehensive Guide for a Cosy and Protected Season with Brady Insurance.
The trees are bare and winter has most definitely arrived! It's now time to ensure your home is ready for whatever is to come...whether it's heavy rain or freezing temperatures. At Brady Insurance, our years of experience has taught us just how important it is to safeguard your home against the challenges posed by winter weather. In this guide, we'll provide you with practical tips to help you prepare your home, and enjoy a cosy winter season worry-free.
Interior Preparations:
1. Test Your Heating System:
Don’t get caught out - ensure your heating system is in working order. Turn it on early, check radiators, and consider professional boiler servicing for optimal performance. Don’t forget to order your gas or home heating oil before the Christmas period
2. Chimney maintenance:
Ensure your fireplace is winter-ready by having a professional inspect and clean your chimney, this should be done annually but at minimum every two years.
3. Fire Alarms:
Check your fire alarms and carbon monoxide for added assurance.
4. Doors & Window:
Seal any draughts by inspecting outdoor and window frames. Ensure windows that were left open during the summer close snugly, keeping your home warm and reducing heating bills.
5. Insulate Tanks and Pipes:
Keep your bills down and avoid burst pipes! Fitting lagging jackets on your water tank and foam covers for hot water pipes keeps your water warm, reduces energy waste, and prevents freezing during winter.
6. Extreme Temperatures
If the temperature falls below zero it is advisable to allow heat up into your attic space to avoid frozen and burst pipes. Keep the temperature at a constant with your thermostat and open the trap door to allow some heat up there.
7. Heavy Snow
It is always a good idea to have clean gutters and drains so snowfall and melt water have somewhere to go. When you have very heavy snow, clear paths as soon as you can and cordon any area that snow is likely to fall from the drain.
Christmas Decoration Safety Tips:
1. Inspect Lights and Decorations:
Before decking the halls, carefully inspect Christmas lights and decorations for any frayed wires or damage. Replace any faulty items to prevent electrical hazards.
2. Use Outdoor Lights Outdoors:
Ensure that outdoor lights are labelled for exterior use. Using indoor lights outside can pose a fire risk due to exposure to the elements.
3. Secure Decorations Safely:
Prevent tripping hazards by securing decorations properly. Use hooks, clips, or proper adhesive to secure lights and decorations in place.
4. Turn Off Decorations at Night:
Save energy and reduce fire risks by turning off Christmas lights and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.
5. Use of Candles :
Consider using flameless LED candles instead of traditional candles. They provide the ambiance without the fire risk.
Keep Candles Away from Flammable Materials If you opt for traditional candles, place them in sturdy holders and keep them away from curtains, decorations, or any flammable materials. Always extinguish candles before leaving a room or going to bed. Unattended candles can pose a serious fire risk. Place Candles on Stable Surfaces: Ensure candles are placed on stable, heat-resistant surfaces to prevent accidental tipping or overheating.
And Be Winter Ready:
1. Stock up on the Essentials:
Stock up on fuel, salt or grit for icy periods, and keep an ice scraper in your car for frosty mornings.
2. Emergency Supplies:
Have easily accessible torches with spare batteries, matches, candles, throat drops, tissues, bottled water, and non-perishable foods in case of power cuts or being trapped indoors.
It may seem like there’s a lot to do to ensure your home is winter-proofed, but all these steps are simple enough, ensuring peace of mind, savings on bills, and cosier times indoors. Whatever winter throws at you, rest assured that your home is always protected with Brady Insurance home insurance. Get your quote today and enjoy a worry-free winter season with your trusted partners at Brady Insurance.