Winter can be a wonderful time of the year, although it doesn’t feel like it.

But, spending time outside in the beautiful white snow with the family, and then cozying up in front of the fire or in a warm home with a nice hot chocolate can often be a highlight for many people. However, winter can also spell disaster for your home if you are not careful. So how do you get around that? Here are some of the things to be looking out for and aware of, and hopefully the forward thinking will help you if disaster strikes.

Your heating suddenly stops working

There is nothing worse than walking into your home, after a cold day at work or being outside, and finding that your house is just as cold, if not colder than it is outside. It isn’t a pleasant thing to be greeted with, that is for sure. Heating emergencies can often mean you need a plumber or an expert to take a look, which is when companies like Expert Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electrical could help you out of a jam. Having local expert numbers to hand means that you can get this resolved sooner rather than later. You might also want to schedule in a service, to try and avoid this happening in the future.

Freezing pipes

The weather can be bitter in winter, and many of us will be ready for the snow and ice if we haven’t already been greeted with it already. But, this can also cause havoc on your home. Pipes can freeze in low temperatures, which then, in turn, can stop the flow of water into your home. Or worse still, once they start to thaw out as the temperature rises slightly during the day, they can burst and cause you even further problems.

A great tip is to cover exposed pipes with an added layer of something like foam. This can help the temperature not to dip as low as the external temperature, even one degree could make a big difference.

Blocked gutters and drains

Autumn and winter means that there may have been a lot of fallen debris such as twigs, sticks, and leaves. These can land on the floor or around your home in the gutters. The big issue here is that if they are not cleared up, and you then have a significant amount of rainfall in your area, the gutters can remain blocked and cause big issues with excessive water.

Then when the temperature drops this can freeze and be a big concern when it comes to you and your family’s safety. The best advice is to tackle those yearly chores such as clearing the gutters at your earliest convenience.

Weather causing damage

Finally, the weather could be causing you big problems when it comes to your home. Yes, snow and ice can be dangerous, but it’s the likes of strong winds that can cause a lot of damage in a short space of time. Blowing down fences, causing damage to your home. While you can’t necessarily avoid it, you can ensure that things have been secured properly before a storm hits.

Let’s hope these tips help you to avoid winter issues with your home.