Getting your home ready before the cold sets in can prevent a lot of expensive problems. Here's what to check and action every autumn before winter arrives.
Clear Gutters Before the Leaves Fall
Autumn leaves block gutters quickly. A blocked gutter in a heavy downpour overflows and drives water into the roof space, down the external wall or into the foundations. Clear gutters and downpipes in late autumn once most leaves have fallen, and check all joints are secure. If your gutters block every year, gutter guards are a worthwhile investment that reduce the frequency of clearing.
Protect Your Pipes From Freezing
Burst pipes caused by freezing are one of the most costly winter home emergencies. Lag any exposed pipes in unheated spaces — lofts, garages and under-floor voids — with pipe insulation, which is inexpensive and simple to fit. Isolate and drain outdoor taps before the first frost, and know where your main stopcock is so you can turn the water off quickly if a pipe does freeze or burst.
Get Your Boiler Serviced
If you did not service your boiler in spring, book it in early autumn before the heating season begins. Boiler engineers are significantly harder to book in November and December when demand peaks. A service also confirms your boiler is ready for the cold months ahead — the last thing you want is a breakdown on the coldest night of the year. Check that your thermostat and programmer are working correctly before you need them.
Check Your Roof Before Winter Storms
A quick visual inspection of your roof in autumn can save significant repair costs. Look for missing, cracked or slipped tiles that could let water in during winter storms. Check the flashing around chimney stacks, skylights and roof valleys — failed flashing is a common source of roof leaks. If you spot anything of concern, get it looked at before winter weather makes the problem worse and access to the roof more difficult.
Draught-Proof Doors and Windows
Draughts waste heat and push up energy bills. Check the seals around external doors and windows and replace any worn or compressed draught strips. Letter boxes, keyholes and cat flaps all let cold air in and can be fitted with draught-excluding covers inexpensively. Check loft hatch seals too — a poorly sealed loft hatch allows warm air to escape directly into the cold roof space, where it condenses and can cause damp.
Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
With heating systems, fires and candles used more heavily in winter, autumn is a good time to test every smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector in the property. Replace batteries in any alarm that hasn't had them changed in the past 12 months. Carbon monoxide alarms are particularly important when gas boilers, fires and wood burners are in regular use — CO is odourless and invisible, making a working detector essential.