It’s time to be proactive in prepping your home for the winter chill and rain. With unseasonal rain in Gauteng and Capetonians praying for rain, torrential rain can become a huge problem. The advice from the experts is – take this pre-hibernation opportunity to prepare your home for winter issues, which will save you money and problems down the line.
We bring you five great practical maintenance tips which will help you adequately prepare for the onset of winter:
Time to clean those gutters and downpipes
The rain could find a path into the house and lead to substantial damage if you don’t regularly clear and clean the gutters of leaves and any other debris that you might find. Ensure that the rainwater in the downpipes has somewhere to go. Damage to foundations and rising damp could be the results of water pooling at the bottom of downpipes. Check that those drainage outlets are clear, which will allow rainwater to drain directly into municipal storm water drains.
Check windows and doors
Leaks and draughts result in letting out the heat, and letting in the rain. Check the windows and doors in your home for draughts, and patch up air leaks around your windows and doors before the rain comes.
Roof care
Check the roof for leaks, and check your roof for damaged tiles. Sort out any roofing problems timeously.
Insulation
Other than patching up the draughts and leaks around windows and doors, you can also lose heat through the floors, walls and ceilings. Insulate ceilings to avoid heat loss. You can also add thicker curtains in order to keep out the chilly air.
Heating
The most cost-efficient heaters are gas and wall panel heaters. Consider investing in a wall panel heater in every room.
Remember, regular maintenance of your home should be your first priority
Conduct regular inspections around your home, followed up by regular maintenance. In the long-term, this will save you money as well as time. Insurance companies state that it is your responsibility to maintain your home as your policy does not cover deterioration or wear and tear.
If home maintenance is not your “thing”, consider soliciting the advice and assistance from the experts
Three YEI business listing advertisers in the home maintenance area
Cape Drain – click here
Drain clearing specialists
A-2-Z Household Maintenance – click here
Maintenance and Project Management for Over 60’s
Ronnie Borchardt from A2Z says: “The unseasonal weather is the perfect time to paint and waterproof your home. It is recommended that you call us to paint as we have 3 teams of highly trained and competent painters available right now!”
Sherwood Hardware – click here
The ‘village hardware store’ – excellent service and a diverse range, where one can buy a single nut or bolt.
More YEI business listing advertisers in the “Home maintenance” area can be found in the You’ve Earned It / YEI Directory under categories such as:
Building construction and maintenance
Electrical contractors
General services
Home care services
Plumbers
Services offered
How to find business listing advertisers
Go to YEI Directory on the YEI homepage (the orange bar at the top of the YEI homepage)
Click on the category and location of your search
Click on search
Change the “count” button to 30, 40, 50 or 100
Your search results will appear