10 best ways to prepare you home and garden for Winter

Insulate pipes

Insulating your pipes is not only a great way to keep your home cosy but will also be a great money saving tool in the long run. This is because heat is trapped around the pipes meaning they require less energy to become hot and, thus, lowering your energy bill.

Clear gutters

If you read our gutter cleaning blog in August you’ll know that summer is actually the perfect time to clear your gutters as it prepares them for the coming months and prevents build up. However, if you missed the memo, fear not. Its never too late to protect your home from bacteria and weed infested gutters or to reduce the risk of water-induced structural damage that might occur when the winter storms hit.

Be good to your boiler

Even if you think your boiler is in perfect condition, its always a good idea to get it checked out at the beginning of the stormy season because, when the cold does hit and everyone’s boilers break, its going to be a lot harder to get a repairman out and the cold its going to cut a lot deeper.

Pay attention to window frames

Winter is the perfect time to gather with family and friends for a nice hearty meal, with the heating on full blast, perhaps a with a roaring fire, and the cold night locked outside. However, the heat and humidity in these situations, exacerbated by a lack of circulation of air, provide the perfect conditions for mould to have its own gathering- on your window frames, the aftermath of which includes rotting and decaying of the frames. To prevent mould from growing, Kin Kan Do offers an interior window cleaning service to remove mould and extend the lifespan of your frames .

Cut back large trees and bushes

If you notice any suspiciously large branches on trees, bushes, or hedges, it may be time for a trim. We never know what a British winter will bring us but the last thing we want is to be stuck in the middle of a storm with large branches bashing into our roofs. This is no small task but will help to protect you, you family, and your wallet.

Remove dead weight

Though there may not appear to be much life in your garden over winter, you certainly don’t there to be any death. During winter, plants and lawns focus on strengthening their roots but dead matter can rot and attract bacteria, fungi, and an ideal breeding ground for pesky insects who will delight in attacking your plants in the spring. So, by trimming and removing any dead plants or leaves, you can help to promote a healthy garden that will reward you in the summer.

Opt for a mulching mow

Whilst we acknowledge that it’s hard to resist the sleek lines of our ProMow service, it may be better for your lawn to try an EcoMow [https://www.kinkando.com/Croydon/Croydon-Services/EcoMow-lawn-cutting] this autumn. Mulching any time of year provides numerous health benefits to your lawn but an added bonus during winter is that thick mulch acts as a winter blanket, resisting extreme changes in temperature and protecting the soil and thus, the roots from freezing.

Clean up the edges

Winter is the perfect time to neaten up overgrown, untidy or weed-infested borders and flowerbeds as it is a lot easier to see what you’re doing without flowers getting in the way or accidentally removing beneficial plants. We offer a great border and flowerbed de-weeding service that will improve garden health over winter and have it flourishing in spring.

Give your soil some love

Winter is the time that plant’s roots become stronger, so you want to make sure they have the ideal conditions to do this by nurturing the soil. All the above tips will help soil health, but you can additionally help by clearing dead leaves and utilising any compost that you’ve been creating over the last few months.

Recycle, recycle, recycle

In tip 9, we recommended using any homemade compost. Well, by clearing out your compost heap, you can actually make room for all the garden waste you’ve produced in tips 5 to 9, meaning that you can store it away ready for next year and continue on the eco-friendly cycle!

Preparing your home for winter has never been easier. You can be connected to a local professional with our automated booking service, to create a home that you can enjoy hibernating in.