We have had a long and very hot summer this year with record breaking temperatures, but the days are starting to draw in, the weather is starting to turn and Autumn is well and truly on its way. As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, windier and wetter, it is time to start preparing your home for the Autumn. In this article, we give some helpful tips and advice on getting your home Autumn ready.
Windows and Doors
It has been a hot summer and the long days of sun and the extreme heat could have affected either the seals on your doors and windows or even caused wooden doors and windows to warp a little. It makes sense to check the seals on your doors and windows and even check them for water tightness just to make sure that they are secure and tight for the colder months, the last thing anyone wants is drafty or leaking windows and doors.
Chimneys
There won’t have been much call to use your open fire or stove over the summer and it is unlikely that, when the weather started to warm up, you remembered to have your chimney swept after the colder weather. Now then, is the time to get the chimney sweep out to clear your chimney before you attempt to light your fire again.
Garden
Autumn in the garden is the time to give your bushes and shrubs a good prune, plant your spring bulbs and have a general tidy up of your beds, after this flurry of activity, most of the gardening work will start to tail off. It is a good time to maintain your gardening tools. Sharpen your lawnmower blades, your shears and secateurs and give all your other tools a good wash, dry them thoroughly and cover any wooden handles in a light layer of oil to protect them.
You’ll also probably be spending less time outside as the nights draw in so it’s time to start putting your summer furniture and accessories away or covering it to protect it from the cold and wet. If you have them and you have space to store them, also think about putting garden swings or trampolines away.
Don’t forget to take a look at your fences. We did have a few windy days over the summer and of course, that intense heat will have had an effect on wooden fences. Check to make sure the posts are sturdy and, if you have time, give them a lick of preservative, they will certainly need it over the wet and cold months
Although perhaps a little early to be worrying, but something that is easy to forget, it might be worth protecting your outside taps from frost using a tap protector. You don’t want to be caught out by a snap frost. So, isolate the tap internally if you can, open it up fully to drain it and then cover it with a tap cover.
Gutters and roofs
As it hasn’t rained much over the last few months you’ve possibly forgotten your gutters are even there, but they will be worked hard in the next few months so take some time to inspect them. Give them a clean, check them for blockages and for leaking joints.
The same goes for your roof tiles, in the extreme heat the glue that helps to hold some types of tiles might have failed causing them to shift. You need your roof to be watertight and secure, so give your roof a thorough visual inspection and fix any loose tiles.
Service your boiler
Although you might not want your heating on just yet, there will be a rush very soon with people needing their boilers serviced ad the inevitable busy periods plumbers experience when homeowners try to turn on their boilers for the first time in months only to discover a problem. Getting in early will make sure your boiler is less likely to fail and also ensure that there is an engineer to come out to you before the seasonal rush.
Although Autumn can still be quite mild it is the perfect time to prepare for the cold, wet months ahead of us. Investing some time now will really pay dividends and leave you feeling warm and secure as the days draw in.
