The first cold nights arrive, the heating goes back on and the leaves start to fall. It's time to prepare your home for winter: the weather is still good enough to work outside, and you won't be caught in a rush when the frosts arrive. With this checklist you can go over the whole house in a weekend, from the boiler to the gutters. Even if you rent, you can do most of these jobs yourself.
Prepare your home for winter: start with the heating
- Bleed the radiators: if a radiator is noisy or isn't warm at the top, there's air inside. Turn the heating on for a while so they all warm up, switch it off and wait a few minutes for the air to rise. Open the bleed valve a quarter turn with a cloth underneath and close it as soon as water comes out. You'll find it step by step in our guide on how to bleed radiators.
- Check the pressure: bleeding lowers the pressure in the system. Look at the boiler's pressure gauge and, if it's below the level the manufacturer gives in the manual, top it up with the filling valve.
- Boiler service: if it's been a while since a technician checked it, book an appointment now, before the cold-weather rush. If you rent, check with your landlord who takes care of it.
- Carbon monoxide detector: if you have a boiler, water heater or fuel-burning stove, it's a good idea to install one nearby and test it. Carbon monoxide can't be seen or smelt.
Draughts from windows, doors and roller shutters
Draughts make the house feel colder than it is and lead you to turn the heating up. To find them, run your hand along the joints of windows and doors on a windy day, or hold up a thin strip of paper: if it moves, air is getting in.
- Draught excluder strips on windows and doors that don't close properly. Replace old, flattened ones.
- Roller shutter box: it's one of the main places where cold gets in. Check that the cover closes properly and seal any gaps.
- Draught excluder under the front door and under the doors of rooms that lead onto cold areas.
- Reflective foil behind radiators fitted on an outside wall, to send the heat back into the room.
- Curtains closed at dusk, but without covering the radiator, or the heat will stay trapped between the fabric and the glass.
That said, don't cover the air vents: a well-sealed home still needs fresh air to prevent damp and mould.
Outside: gutters, outdoor tap and terrace
- Clean the gutters and downpipes once most of the leaves have fallen. A blocked gutter overflows and the water ends up running down the façade. If you use a ladder, have someone hold it; high gutters are best left to a professional.
- Outdoor tap: if you live in an area with frosts, turn off the indoor stopcock, open the outside tap and let it drain. Leave it open so any remaining water has room to expand if it freezes. A frozen pipe can burst.
- Hose and cushions: drain and dry the hose and store it indoors. Terrace cushions should go under cover so they don't get mouldy.
- Leaves on paths and steps: sweep away wet leaves, which are very slippery.
Smoke detectors and chimney
In winter we light more candles and use more heaters and decorative lights. A smoke detector on each floor is a small investment that can save lives. If you already have them, press the test button and replace any flat batteries. If you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, have it swept before lighting it again.
Don't forget your pets
- Bed away from draughts: don't put it next to the front door or on a cold floor, but in a warm, quiet corner.
- Antifreeze out of reach: car coolant tastes sweet but is highly toxic to dogs and cats. Screenwash with antifreeze shouldn't be within their reach either. Keep them tightly closed and wipe up any drops spilt in the garage straight away.
- Heaters and candles: put a fireguard in front of the heater and never leave a lit candle in a room with your dog or cat.
- Blankets and cushions: in winter they pile up on the sofa and, with a pet that sheds, they're soon covered in hair. With our reusable self-cleaning pet hair remover you'll have them clean in no time.
The checklist, in short
- Bleed the radiators and check the boiler pressure.
- Have the boiler serviced and test the carbon monoxide detector.
- Seal draughts, without covering the air vents.
- Clean the gutters and downpipes once the leaves have fallen.
- Drain the outdoor tap and put away the terrace items.
- Test the smoke detectors and have the chimney swept.
- A warm spot for your pet and antifreeze out of its reach.
A few hours' work now will save you from the cold and from costly surprises, like a burst pipe or an overflowing gutter.