Autumn is a great time for a bit of home maintenance. With a little prior preparation, we can root out problems that we may not have even considered. The changing weather can often bring with it very different circumstances in our home life, something as simple as rainfall can potentially affect our homes differently after a long, dry summer. I thought I'd share a few key areas to check on, to help you figure out methods to prepare for issues that might arise, and prevent them from becoming any worse this winter.
No matter who you are, what kind of home you live in, or how competent of a home planner you are in the first place, these simple tips can help you in some way this autumn.
Drains
Drains are important to consider in Autumn more than any time, they can really impact your home if you don’t pay attention to them. Unblocking a drain can sometimes be best left to the experts, but learning methods to prevent that from happening can be worthwhile. Autumn means falling leaves, and that means drains being blocked. However, it’s not always debris that falls from nature, as the wind can sometimes blow litter into our pipes and thus prevent the natural flow of water. If you hope to ensure that your pipes are taken care of, ensure you regularly inspect them, repair ineffective locations and direct your pipes in a way that makes sense to remove excess water, not just where is the most convenient.
Windows
When the bad weather starts, it can be a great idea to check your window insulation too. Inside insulation can be checked at any time of year, but it might be worth checking the outside competencies for water tightness as this can prevent heavy snowfall or showers from impeding your window arch unit, keeping your home dry and the frame from being corrupted in any way.
Garden
It’s likely that you’ll use your garden less and less over the winter months, but you will need to prepare it. Tarpaulin sheets across water features or ponds can prevent pumps or pipes from freezing up or becoming blocked just like drains. Storing all of your items in the outdoor shed can be worthwhile, keeping various furniture items dry or debris taken care of before the grass becomes too long and wet to cut frequently. It can also be important to consider picking up a rake, because often strewn leaves around the garden can look quite unsightly and contribute to the general mulch of your garden environment. Taking care of your garden might not be as important as it is in summer during these months, but it is still essential to ensure that when the spring rolls around, your maintenance tasks will been much less heinous than they might have been.
Flooring
When Autumn hits, we also get more rain, more dew in the morning and even the dreaded snow at times. To protect flooring in the wetter months it's all about keeping things dry, clean and warm. Make sure to have absorbent mats at the front and back door and encourage family members to wipe their feet on the way in. If you have pets, try and wipe dogs feet after walks and for any other furry friends, pop blankets on their favourite sitting spots to keep them warm and prevent mucky paw prints on floors and furniture. For a little warmth to your flooring, add rugs to rooms that need a little extra help, this will protect the flooring beneath and also prevent cold coming through and heat leaving.
Condensation
This time of year is prime time for condensation in the home. With colder outside walls and warmer air inside from heating, it's easy to quickly have a problem with condensation and black mould appearing in damp spots near walls and windows. You could add dehumidifiers to particularly bad rooms, but my top tip is to keep the house aired as much as possible. Open windows when you can, even if just on air lock or any vents left open. It's super hard with babies and young children in the house to get the balance right, but it's not impossible and well worth doing to keep your home fresh and airy in cooler months.
With these tips hopefully all the classic Autumn home issues can be avoided!
*Collaborative post
