Winterise Your Home Before the Holidays
Preparing your home for winter may seem like another addition to an ever-growing list of holiday demands. However, taking the right precautions can keep your home and everyone inside safe and healthy. Here are a few simple things you can do to winterise your home before Santa lands his sleigh.
Insulate
Insulation is essential to maintaining a safe home in frigid temperatures.
Your window treatments can significantly affect your home’s lighting and comfort. Windows get cold and can decrease your house’s internal temperature. Curtains are an excellent way to help winterise your home.
Plush curtains give your home a cosy look and can improve your insulation. You can install a rod so they go over blinds or light-filtering sheers. That way, you can use your windows for natural light during the day but let you create a warmer, more comfortable space while the sun goes down.
If you have the time and finances, consider replacing any single-paned windows with double or triple-paned alternatives. They will let in plenty of sunlight while blocking cold winter air from entering.
Another way to improve your insulation is to examine your property for cracks or leaks. Homes often lose warm air through attics, so the insulation around your roof and inside your attic is solid. Other areas to examine are your chimney and any exterior doors. Consider a chimney cap if yours lets in too much of a draught. Seal or replace any cracks in your entries to ensure a solid seal around your home.
Most heating systems need regular filter replacement. More time and people inside means more dirt, allergens and debris, making having clean, flowing air more important. A clogged filter can let dust and dirt through and cause your system to work less efficiently–raising your energy bill.
Contact your system’s manufacturer if you need clarification on the size of your filter or how often to replace it. To help prevent illness, you can choose a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that can capture virus and bacteria particles.
Clean
Winter is amid colds, flu and stomach bug season. Extended time indoors, holiday travels, and increased germ exposure raise your chances of getting sick through the winter. Deep cleaning can disinfect frequently used areas, helping you stay healthy through the holiday season.
It’s easy to neglect areas you can’t see, such as behind appliances or under furniture. Dark corners can be susceptible to mould and mildew, leading to or exacerbating respiratory symptoms.
Think of the things around your home you normally wouldn’t tackle during a once-over. Wash your drapes or shower curtains. Wipe down your walls. Clean your carpets or sanitise wood and tile floors. Doing so makes your surfaces and air cleaner.
Decluttering is also essential for your and your home’s health. When you don’t have much open space, it makes it hard for air to flow efficiently around your home. It leads to potential moisture traps. Dirty boots and paws can bring water and ice inside. Excess moisture can seep into your walls and floors if left unattended, damaging their structural integrity.
Having a lot of clutter makes it easy for moisture to get trapped under and between items. Aside from potential damage, that water can lead to mould development.
Hang Exterior Lights
Lights make it less likely for you to trip when navigating your home’s exterior. It gets dark out earlier and remains longer during this time of year. Many manufacturers allow you to put their lights on timers to glow when you get home from work or school. You and your guests can more easily navigate your driveway, front walkway and backyard when you have lights.
You can also scare off potential intruders with them. Your lights don’t have to be festive to be effective. If you want to, skip the Christmas lights and choose motion sensor options that turn on when someone passes by. They can spook a porch pirate enough to retreat–keeping you and your packages safe.
Adding holiday cheer to your home isn’t a requirement, but it does help your home stay cosy and could make it safer. The long months between early autumn and late spring can take a toll on mental health. Holiday lights and decor bring feelings of warmth and nostalgia, which can help ease symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Consider solar lights that don’t waste energy for an outdoor set-up. You can also choose light-emitting diode bulbs for a cool-to-the-touch, more sustainable option than incandescent ones.
Winterising Your Home for the Holidays
There are many things to consider when planning for this season. Winterising your home now can make your celebrations more enjoyable while helping your household have a safe and happy holiday.
