Winter is Coming – and so are a few other things
Owning a home can be great, it’s something a lot of people aspire too, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. Summer is starting to feel like a bit of a distant memory and we now look ahead to winter. A time for snow, open fires, cosey nights…oh wait, no it’s a time for rain, lots of rain, cold weather and lots of darkness. But if you own a home winter can also throw up a few extra things for you to think about too!
Rats and Mice!
Let’s get the really horrible one out the way first. The fact is, we are generally surrounded by rats and mice but they stay on the periphery of our lives and we don’t ten to see them. Living in big cities means we may stumble across them more oftenbut they are still out of the way most of the time. In the summer they are out and about eating the spoils of picnics, eating out and more. They also have nests in various places that are perfect in warmer times. However, as winter comes our rodent friends start to look for more sheltered accommodation and that can mean our homes. Rats and mice will be seeking out places that wont get flooded in the prolonged rain, close to food and warm enough to breed in. There is another aspect to this too; as climate change kicks in we are seeing warmer summers and more rain in the winter, this will have the effect of pushing rodents into our homes even more than before.
Mark Stanford from Empire Pest Control Says “Warmer weather increases breeding, Floods and cold weather brings them indoors”
So, what do we do? Well, the key is to be aware. Don’t leave rubbish lying around outside your property. Keep an eye on dried foods like cereal boxes for bite marks and be aware of any droppings you see. You can also often hear rats and mice scurrying in wall cavities and ceilings. Visit https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/exterminator for more information on how to get rid of unwanted pests.
Heating, Burst Pipes and Chimneys
Keeping warm in the winter is a pretty obvious expectation but even though we know that we can often forget to make sure the things we need to keep warm are looked after.
The trend for wood burners is big these days but a lot of people forget to get the chimney swept. While it may seem like something you don’t need to do, ignoring it can lead to build up in the flue which stops it burning properly and even risking Carbon Monoxide in your home.
The same goes for boilers, they need to be serviced every year but lots of us “forget” to save a few pounds. A properly working boiler will be cheaper to run and much safer, after all, having a boiler breaking down mid-winter is no fun for anyone. It is worth noting that leaving chimneys and boilers to the last minute can mean a huge wait for someone to come out. The key is to get it done early. While we are into October now it is still worth booking a service and sweep ASAP rather than wait for November.
The final heating-based worry about winter is burst pipes. If the temperature drops fast overnight, for example, and you have no heating on the water in your pipes can freeze and burst. When the ice melts it causes flooding and a lot of mess. It is really important to check any pipes in the loft are insulated and that if you go away even for a night you leave the heating on a frost setting.
Security
Short days means lots of darkness and sadly that’s when the bad guys come out. Burglaries are more common once the clocks go back and its obvious why. For those homes where people are out until after work hours a criminal can easily see no lights go on once its dark and can work out how long they have to break in and take what they want. An easy way to combat this is to get some plug timers and run lamps through them. This means you can turn lights on when you are not in and it gives the impression you are. These days there are lots of gadgets where you can turn on lights from your phone which helps a lot. Having an alarm fitted is handy, but CCTV can really put people off as can security lights. It may not seem like a big deal in the summer but come the dark days of winter it can be a real problem.
So, winter does bring a few challenges but it is also a time to read, spend time indoors, enjoy our homes and look ahead to Christmas (regardless of how that make be this year). The key is to be aware of what winter brings and be prepared to avoid any horrible problems.
This is a collaborative post – to see how we work with brands visit our work with us page or disclaimer page
