When it comes to preparing your home for the winter it is best to start on this task as early as possible. The reason being is that you don’t want to suddenly find yourself in the cold with a bunch of difficult tasks to carry out! As you will know, leaving a DIY task until the last minute lessens the amount of time you have to plan and prepare for it. This can lead to mistakes, or far greater lengths of time being spent on the job than is necessary.

In this article we’re going to provide some tips that will help you to prepare your home for winter. Plus reduce the need for excessive heating use during the cold winter months.


Radiator efficiency

There are many tips and tricks you can do to ensure you and your family stays toasty over the winter period.  As simple as this one sounds, simple radiator maintenance can be enough to make a noticable difference.

Unless you’re bleeding your radiators regularly (we recommend at least 4 times per year) they’re likely not providing optimal heating. Due to the build up of gases in an un-bled radiator, your heating system has less water to heat up. In turn this causes your radiators to heat your home less efficiently.

If your heating system is in need of replacing, you may want to consider underfloor heating for a more efficient heating system overall.


Preparing your boiler for winter

Following on from preparing your radiators, your boiler should also be high on your list. Having your boiler serviced once a year goes a long way to ensuring that the boiler works as expected. Choose a service time early in the year. That way should the technician find an issue, you won’t be left without a boiler when you need it most.

In winter standing water can freeze in your water pipes. If left unchecked this can damage your central heating system. A quick and effective way to prevent this is to insulate pipes that are likely to be exposed to the elements with pipe insulation, which is relatively cheap and simple to use.

Whilst easy enough to rectify on the spot, boiler pressure is often an overlooked cause of poor energy efficiency. If you boilers pressure is too low, it will have to work harder to warm the same area. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a pressure rating of 1 to 1.5 bar, however each boiler is different, so read the manual.


Check your window and door seals

Over time window and door seals can become worn. After a certain point the deterioration will begin to affect the thermal efficiency of the window or door itself. As well as this you could get the elements entering your home through these newly formed openings.

If you notice that your window or door seals have become worn or frayed it may be time to replace them.

Window and door seals can be purchased for a low price, and the installation process is simple.

  • First remove the existing seal.
  • Next clear the area of debris with a damp cloth and dry off.
  • Finally insert the new seal, taking care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions as you go.

The installation of new seals can have a drastic effect on the performance of your windows and doors. So it’s well worth the effort.


We hope this article proves useful in keeping your home in good shape for winter. If you have any further questions on how to prepare your home for winter, check out our blog, or contact us via Facebook and Twitter for more helpful insights.