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    Maintenance tips to prepare the outside of your home for winter


    Winter is coming! Words that are sadly relevant anytime of the year in the UK (especially if you happen to live up North or pretty much anywhere in Scotland for that matter). The thought of winter’s arrival conjures up images of cold, wet, grey days spent shivering outdoors, cursing the neverending amount of leaves building up, dreading the cost of heating your home and just generally feeling all out gloomy… BUT! Never fear because our winter preparation series is here! And in this series we will give you easy to action winter preparation tips so that the cold dark days ahead are more enjoyable and a bit brighter even if the weather is not. Today we are kicking off the winter preparation fun by tackling the great outdoors and focussing on the outside of your property.

    Ensuring the gutters and drainage around your property are healthy and clear of blockages is especially important if you live where falling leaves are a nuisance, snow is likely during the colder months or you frankly like the cold weather to stay where it belongs… outside! And while we are talking about gutters and drainage, don’t forget your roof and your chimney while you’re up the ladder. Keeping those things in good condition is paramount to keeping everything underneath warm, safe and dry in Winter.

     

    Keeping the external parts of your property in tip top shape is simple with regular maintenance. Just check out our actionable tips below to get the outside of your place winter ready over the weekend!

     

     

    Our top tips to get the outside of your property winter ready

     

    Clean & Clear

    You’re going to need to get your ladder out because the first and most obvious step is to clean your roof, gutters, downpipes and drains of any and all debris! Scoop out all those leaves and remove any moss or vegetation that may have made itself comfy on your home and ensure there’s nothing impeding the flow of water down and away from your property. Seems obvious but you’d be surprised how many people forget to just roll up their sleeves and clean clean clean!

     

    Visual Inspection

    Put your glasses on and get inspecting! Go out and look for cracks or leaks, get a small mirror and check behind the downpipes and fascia, check these on a rainy day as that’s the best time to spot leaks that would otherwise go unnoticed. It’s also important to ensure your gutters are aligned to allow water to run off correctly to avoid standing water in your gutters. Standing water when turned to ice during a cold snap can crack and break your gutters leading to even pricier repair work in future. If however you discover a leak in your roof, it might be worthwhile to get a reputable roofer in who can do a thorough inspection to see if it’s an easy fix and not something more serious - you don’t want to be dancing about on your roof without the right safety gear or clue on what you’re doing… some things are best left to the professionals.

     

    Repair & Replace

    Notice a section of downpipe or guttering that is beyond salvaging? Might be time to replace it completely, we have a range of gutter parts and spares to suit all manner of gutter styles. Alternatively we also sell a range of sealants and repair products to help you adequately address cracks and leaks in your guttering should the issue you have only need repairing and not a full replacement.

     

    Preventative Measures

    In most instances, prevention is better than a cure! Install some gutter brush to stop blockages in their tracks. These are helpful for allowing water to flow freely down and out while preventing leaves and other debris from clogging up your gutters. Needing to get your hands on some of these? We’ve got you covered for leaf guards and other downpipe balloon guards. Treat your roof with an anti-moss treatment while you’re up there to keep any future growth to a minimum.

     

    Tap Jacket

    These are small insulated and waterproof covers to protect your outside taps. Often an afterthought and something you wish you’d bought earlier in the year when you didn’t need it - a tap jacket can help ensure you have access to water from your garden tap even in the coldest of conditions.

     

    Grit

    If you’re fortunate enough to have smooth outdoor surfaces like a driveway or paths on or around your property and they’re your own personal responsibility then you may want to consider keeping an adequate supply of grit at the ready. You don’t want to end up a viral sensation thanks to videos of you slipping and sliding on the drive all because you forgot to buy some grit to de-ice the path when it gets frosty. Avoid the slip - buy some grit!

     

    We hope we’ve given you some ideas on actionable jobs you can tackle around the home to get winter ready this weekend! If you’ve got any questions about anything you’ve read above or perhaps you need help with any plumbing or heating projects at your place then give us a call on 01862 808040 and we’ll be happy to help in any way we can.



    Get your heating system ready for winter


    With the thought of winter’s imminent approach on the horizon our minds turn from keeping the house cool for summer to instead keeping it toasty and warm for the cooler months ahead - here we look at what you should do when turning on your heating for the first time.

    Now turning on your heating sounds simple enough, it’s just a flick of a switch… right? WRONG! Never assume it’s going to be as simple as that - if your heating has been off and asleep for the last several months then it’s going to need some waking up, just like we all do in the morning, your heating system is no different after waking up from a long slumber.


    Steps you should take when switching on your heating system for winter

     

    Get your boiler serviced

    A boiler service will help to keep your boiler in the best possible condition and keep it running as reliably and efficiently as possible - making sure it is ready for any weather. You give your car an annual MOT check so consider your boiler the engine for your home and pencil it in for an annual health check to make sure it’s operating correctly and any potential issues are detected and addressed as soon as possible.

    Bleed the radiators

    Not sure what bleeding the radiators means? Rest assured that this step requires no leeches and should be relatively blood free. Bleeding the radiators refers to removing any wayward air that may have made it into your system. You’ll need a towel or an ice cream tub or similar at the ready to absorb or catch any water that could come out as you’ll be bleeding air from the radiator. To do this you’ll need a radiator bleed key or a universal radiator & valve key.  

    Check the thermostatic radiator valve (TRV)

    What’s a thermostatic radiator valve I hear you ask? Well it’s that numbered knob thingy on the side of your radiator that you turn to change the flow of hot water to the radiator. If you’ve had a nice long warm spell and you’ve subsequently not used your heating and your TRVs have been closed for several months then it’s possible they could be stuck in that position and you may end up with a bit of a challenge on your hands to get them open again. If you find they’re stuck closed you can get them working properly by removing the TRV head from the valve body (sounds complicated but we promise you it isn’t!). Underneath you’ll find a small pin. Using the flat face of an adjustable spanner - like the ones in your home DIY plumbing repair kit (don’t worry if you don’t have any, you can get some here), use your spanner to push the pin and and check it is moving freely up and down so to ensure it can open and close like it should. Once you’ve got it freely moving again so it can open and close properly, replace the TRV head and you’re good to go! Happen to be in the market for a new TRV? Well take a look at the different styles we have online. We have a wide variety of thermostatic radiator valves to suit any taste or budget.

    Check your room thermostat

    Sounds fairly obvious but if it hasn’t been used for any significant period of time like a whole summer season then it’s worth checking. When it comes to older room thermostats you’ll likely find that when you open and close it you’ll hear a clicking sound - try this and keep your ear out for the tell tale click. If however you have a digital room thermostat skip this as you won’t be able to check it for the tell tale clicking sound as they don’t have it. Thinking you might be needing a new thermostat after doing your check? Well we’ve got you covered with a range of heating controls and thermostats online.

     

    Are you ready to turn your heating back on? I know we are! If however you have further Qs about anything you’ve read above or perhaps you have a query relating to heating that isn’t mentioned above, just give us a call on 01862 808040 - we’ll be happy to chat with you about all things plumbing and heating.



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