Burst pipes are far more likely to occur in the winter months when pipes are at risk of freezing as the temperature drops. To help prevent this costly headache – not to mention the damage it could do to your home – make sure you seal off any draughts in your home with caulk or insulation. You can also install foam pipe insulation to minimise the chances of pipework freezing during cold snaps.
Winter is also the time when most of us experience boiler breakages – just when we need them most! Get your boiler serviced annually and a qualified engineer should be able to catch any potential problems before they turn into a property nightmare when the colder months roll in. However, if your boiler is over 15 years old, then perhaps it's time for an upgrade.
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Drafts and leaks in your home are most often caused by a lack of proper insulation, which can be easily solved. Inspect the quality of insulation around your windows and doors and in your attic. Leaks can be fixed using spray foam, caulk or weather stripping and could see a reduction in your energy bills.
Glamorous? No, but it's a job that has to be done, especially as instances of clogged gutters are most prevalent during the winter when ice can create blockages. With this in mind, pop on a pair of gloves and clean downspouts, troughs and rain chains of leaves, moss and other debris before the temperature drops. You may want to install a silicone heating mat or similar system in the gutter troughs to stop them freezing over, too.
As the temperature drops, interior paintwork can crack and peel in autumn and winter so it's a good idea to tackle this problem before the change in weather exacerbates it further. Condensation is the biggest culprit, so long-term preventative measures include installing more insulation and adding ventilation and moisture barriers. If you do need to repaint a room – particularly in a bathroom or kitchen – use paints that are formulated for cold weather and mixed with freeze-resistance additives.
Now is also a fantastic time to demould your windowsills and frames using mould-fighting sprays on hotspots or a homemade mixture of one part bleach to three parts water. Condensation is the most common cause of mould build-up, so open windows or use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom where possible to increase air circulation. It's a good idea to dry out the area to determine if the source of condensation is from a leak or the result of high humidity.
Depending on the size and style of your windows, cleaning them may feel like an overwhelming task, yet it's remarkable how a sparkly clean window can have such an impact on a house and all that's required is a bucket of warm, soapy water, a sponge and a dry cloth for buffing the glass. The latter is probably the most important part, as it will allow you to achieve a pristine, smudge-free finish.
Fixing squeaky, stiff or wonky hinges is a small job that can make a big difference. According to comparison site, HaMuch.com, a handyman would charge £30 ($37) an hour to do the work, so this is a fantastic DIY project to tackle yourself when you've got a few minutes on your hands. To rectify the issue, all you need is a screwdriver and some WD-40. Tighten or loosen the bolts that hold the hinge in place, to adjust the door to its rightful place, then add a touch of WD-40 to free the hinge from oil build-up.
Forgetting to scrub our washing machines is a bad home habit. Stagnant water can soon become mouldy and give off an unpleasant odour, so cleaning your machine every month will lengthen its life and improve the cleanliness of your clothes. You can clean the drum the natural way by pouring 230ml of white vinegar directly into the drum and running an empty cycle at 60ºC. Don't forget to clean the filter and if there's a build-up of mould around the door seal, use a white vinegar solution to remove it. An old toothbrush is perfect for tackling the detergent drawer; check your manual for how to remove yours for cleaning.
When air becomes trapped inside radiators, it prevents the water from heating the whole system, so freeing them of air pockets will reduce your energy bills, increase the efficiency of your central heating and keep your home toasty throughout the winter months. All you need is a radiator key, which are available online and at hardware stores. Turn the heating on and check which radiators have cold spots, then turn off the boiler and use the key to open the bleed valve and release the air. A towel or bowl will catch any leaks. Repeat throughout the home.
Over time, patios and driveways can become overrun with dirt and moss, which would take hours to remove by hand. The quickest way to tackle the issue is to invest in a pressure washer, which are available online from as little as £60 ($74). These machines remove grime and algae with a powerful blast of water. Before you start, clear the area of plants or furnishings and use a brush to remove loose debris. It's recommended you wear goggles to protect your eyes and remember, only use a power washer on solid ground. You can also apply detergent to the surface prior to washing to make the patio easier to clean.
Exposed to the elements, garden furniture can quickly become shabby and weathered, yet with some simple TLC, your old outdoor furnishings can be brought back to life. Before you repaint your furniture, sand everything down to remove any old varnish and to create a smooth surface from which to start. Go for a paint that's specifically designed for outdoor use and get creative with your designs. You could even let the kids have a go. Even if you have a small garden, this will make it feel refreshed!
Is your front door looking drab? Are your window frames peeling and tired? Now might just be the ideal time to give the exterior of your house a facelift for added kerb appeal – and all that's required is a simple lick of paint! There are plenty of step-by-step guides online that will help you achieve a quality finish, but remember to remove any fixtures before starting, apply painter's tape to glass to create a neat finish and clean and prepare surfaces before you begin. And make sure you sand the wood first.
You may regularly vacuum your curtains and blinds, but do you ever take them down and give them a wash? It might sound like a fiddly job, but the results will be well worth it, keeping the fabric in tip-top shape and ridding your interior of excess dust. Once you've taken your curtains down, be sure to shake away any dust before washing. You can either soak them and wash them by hand or use your washing machine – it'll depend on the fabric. Either way, be sure to use cold water. You could even invest in new curtains if you're looking to freshen up your home.
There is perhaps nothing more important in the home than your smoke detection system. In order to make sure they're working effectively, it's essential that you check them periodically. This will look different for every household, depending on the type of alarms you have, but generally all you need to do is press the test button on the front of every detector. It should let off a ring for a few seconds, but if not, you may need to change the batteries or the entire alarm. Consult your manufacturer's booklet for further information.
We use our ovens all the time, but we often neglect them during our household cleaning routine. While some modern ovens have self-cleaning functions, in which the machine does all the hard work, others require a more hands-on approach. You can purchase oven cleaning kits, but bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar is a thrifty home idea that will also do the trick. Don some rubber gloves, empty the oven and leave your chosen cleaning material to work for around 30 minutes. Wipe clean with warm water and don't forget to give those shelves a good scrub!
It's likely you have a collection of photos and art prints that you've been meaning to hang on your walls for ages. A gallery wall or family portraits can really enhance a living space and hanging frames yourself is straightforward, provided you have the right tools for the job. You'll need a measuring tape, a hammer, some nails and screws and a cable detector, to make sure the space behind the wall is free of electrics or pipework. The thickness of your walls will determine what sort of hanging mechanism you need and there are endless tutorials online to show you how to do the job right.
Defrosting the freezer has to be one of the most annoying household tasks ever. While most new freezers and fridge freezers come with a frost-free feature, if you have an older model that needs to be defrosted, it is a fiddly and time-consuming job. Excess ice can reduce the amount of usable space and render your freezer inefficient, elevating your energy bills. Remove any food and keep it cold using ice, before placing towels around the base of the unit to catch any meltwater. Switch off the freezer and allow the ice to thaw, gently nudging any large pieces with a plastic tool. Placing a bowl of boiling water inside will encourage the ice to melt.
Over time, paving and patio bricks can become cracked and damaged, making for a rather unattractive exterior finish. If you're feeling up to the task, replacing your broken slabs for new ones will make your driveway, path or patio appear brand new. Search online for step-by-step guides on how to go about it and you order all the materials you need for the job to be delivered to your door.
We all have cupboards and drawers that we dread opening, usually because they're full of junk that's been overlooked for far too long! Well, there's never been a better time to face the issue head-on. Whether your clutter hotspot is your loft, the cupboard under your kitchen sink, or a small drawer that's filled with decades' worth of stuff, clearing the space will make you feel so much better. Consider these savvy storage ideas to help you get organised.
If you have smart home technology, now is the perfect time to run any essential updates and check that the software is running effectively. You could also think about adding to your smart home system. By installing a video doorbell, you can communicate with anyone that comes to your door, without having to speak to them face-to-face. This clever tool is also fantastic when you're not at home and want to monitor who is coming to your door.
If a bathroom isn't properly sealed, it can lead to leaks, mould and even structural damage, not to mention become a breeding ground for bacteria. While many turn to professionals for such a task, correcting your bathroom's grouting and sealant is actually fairly easy, provided you have the right equipment. The trade comparison experts at HaMuch.com recently revealed that on average, tradespeople charge £50 per square metre ($61) for bathroom work, so doing the job yourself is a great cost-saving alternative.
Over time, our walls can become subjected to cracks and chips that we tend to overlook. Yet, there's now no excuse to ignore your imperfect interior. If you're looking to do some weekend DIY jobs, touching up any plaster snags is far easier than you might imagine. All you'll need for the job is some sugar soap, some quick-drying filler, a blunt knife, sandpaper and paint to match your current wall colour.
No matter how good our intentions, our busy lives often mean our wardrobes are left in a state of disrepair. Overfilled with clothes, stacked up with shoe boxes and overflowing with accessories, it can be a challenge to find things. Use this time to reclaim your closet space and get organised. Use a Marie Kondo approach for your clothing, install some shelving and buy some storage boxes to keep your items in check. The Queen of organisation, Lela Burris, has plenty of tips to help you achieve the wardrobe of your dreams.
Giving your radiators a thorough clean is probably well overdue! Dust and dirt can collect in and around your radiators and we tend to forget about them during our routine cleans. A duster with a long, thin handle will be your best friend for this task, allowing you to get in between those tight, awkward spaces with ease. Use a vacuum to rid the area of any loose dust, for a radiator that's as clean as it is efficient.
Over the winter period, strong winds can wreak havoc with your garden fence and they can become brittle, weathered and shabby, so now is the ideal time to fix your fencing once and for all. Leaving the fence to deteriorate further will only make matters worse and could cause the entire thing to come down, so time is of the essence. Whether you need to replace an entire fence panel or a supporting rail, online tutorials are sure to help.
Whether they're squeaky or unstable, malfunctioning floorboards can be extremely annoying. While sprinkling talcum powder between floorboards is a great temporary fix and DIY hack, you may prefer to resolve the issue once and for all. Squeaking is usually caused by boards rubbing against other elements, so start by filling any gaps between the joists and the subfloor, using shims or adhesive. Nails may also help keep boards in place, while beams that are sagging may need to be replaced or reinforced. There are plenty of comprehensive guides online to help you.
No matter how hard we try, it's inevitable that our interiors will become subjected to a certain amount of wear and tear. Whether your children like to use your walls as a sketch pad, or your dog shakes mud all over your hallway paintwork, your home will likely have a fair amount of surface stains. The easiest way to remove marks is using a magic eraser or sugar soap wipes, although a bicarbonate of soda and water concoction will also do the job. Just remember to scrub lightly.
If you're lucky enough to have a garden, it's likely you've spent a fair amount of time outside this past year. Dehydrated and patchy grass can be very unsightly, so address this problem now and give your lawn some TLC. Feed your grass with a specialist treatment, to ensure it stays healthy, plant some grass seeds in any sparse patches and remember to weed and water your lawn regularly.
Do you have a wobbly chair, a door that constantly scrapes along the floor, or a dining table that isn't quite level? Well, what better opportunity to get out your tool kit and have a go at fixing any faults with your furniture? Often it may just be a screw that needs tightening, but if it's something more involved you will find a wealth of help and guidance online – head to YouTube to find a dedicated step-by-step tutorial, and soon you'll be a DIY warrior!
Garden sheds are extremely handy, especially for the green-fingered among us, so when the roof breaks and water gets inside, the consequences can be disastrous. It may sound a little daunting, but replacing your shed's roof is actually a fairly simple job. Look for DIY tutorials that break everything down, but essentially all you need is felt tacks, a set of ladders, a hammer, a straight edge, a sharp knife and a new sheet of felt. This is a task best done in pairs and should take around an hour.
A leaky tap can be very irritating, but more than that, leaks can cost money, waste water and cause limescale damage to build-up in your sink. Thankfully for us all, fixing a dripping tap is a far easier job than you might imagine! All you might need is a new washer, or perhaps your tap has become loose and simply needs tightening. Watch a YouTube video before you take on the job for yourself.
Feeling bored by your current furnishings? Well, now might just be the perfect time to experiment with getting creative. Maybe your dining chairs could do with a fresh lick of paint, or perhaps your chest of drawers need a facelift? Whatever the project, upcycling your furniture is a fun and affordable way to breathe new life into your interior. Let your imagination run wild!
Surely, taking on a huge clutter hotspot like a garage is at the bottom of everyone's list of preferred jobs but it's also one of the most rewarding. Take a tip from Driven By Decor and use wall tracks to keep things off the floor and make use of all wall space. This system means you can easily find things, too, when you need them.
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