Winter Warm-Up: 10 DIY Tasks to Keep the Home Fires Burning
See your house and garden through the cooler months with these home improvement and maintenance jobs
Once the big chill well and truly settles in, the only maintenance you’ll be contemplating is refilling your mug of hot chocolate for a DVD marathon. So before it gets too cold, tick the following tasks off your to-list so that you can relax with the knowledge that your home will be safe and warm and looking tiptop all winter long.
2. Stock up on firewood
Buy or collect enough firewood to take you through winter and store it neatly in an easily accessible area. Indoor log storage is a hot Aussie trend which provides a rustic look for a living room and prevents nasties like red back spiders from finding a home there, as they may do in an outdoor wood heap. A high storage space would be needed for homes with small children. It may also be a good idea to call in a professional chimney sweeper to do a maintenance check on your chimney to prevent fires and carbon monoxide leaks.
HOT TIP
Absorb lingering soot odour in a clean fireplace by placing a dish of baking soda in it when not in use.
Buy or collect enough firewood to take you through winter and store it neatly in an easily accessible area. Indoor log storage is a hot Aussie trend which provides a rustic look for a living room and prevents nasties like red back spiders from finding a home there, as they may do in an outdoor wood heap. A high storage space would be needed for homes with small children. It may also be a good idea to call in a professional chimney sweeper to do a maintenance check on your chimney to prevent fires and carbon monoxide leaks.
HOT TIP
Absorb lingering soot odour in a clean fireplace by placing a dish of baking soda in it when not in use.
3. Store your summer sporting equipment
Tennis rackets, surfboards, bodyboards, kayaks, fishing gear and any other warm-weather outdoor sport items should be cleaned, dried and neatly stored for the winter. Spend a few hours arranging everything for accessibility. Awkward items like surfboards can usually be placed high on walls or even on the ceiling or above roof beams.
Tennis rackets, surfboards, bodyboards, kayaks, fishing gear and any other warm-weather outdoor sport items should be cleaned, dried and neatly stored for the winter. Spend a few hours arranging everything for accessibility. Awkward items like surfboards can usually be placed high on walls or even on the ceiling or above roof beams.
4. Prep your pool
Keep your pool and spa in great condition over winter by either covering it completely to keep out debris or, if it’s heated and you’ll still be using it, checking the chlorine and PH levels every fortnight, emptying the skimmer basket when it’s full, and switching on the pool lights for up to an hour every weekend to prevent a build-up of moisture in the lights or wiring.
Keep your pool and spa in great condition over winter by either covering it completely to keep out debris or, if it’s heated and you’ll still be using it, checking the chlorine and PH levels every fortnight, emptying the skimmer basket when it’s full, and switching on the pool lights for up to an hour every weekend to prevent a build-up of moisture in the lights or wiring.
5. Pamper your lawn
Lift your mower’s blades up to 60mm and mow the lawn infrequently for thick, healthy growth and few weeds. Ensure good drainage is available in the yard to prevent waterlogging on rainy days. Every few months, aerate your lawn by working a pitchfork a few centimetres into the soil to allow in water and fertiliser and oxygenate grass roots.
Lift your mower’s blades up to 60mm and mow the lawn infrequently for thick, healthy growth and few weeds. Ensure good drainage is available in the yard to prevent waterlogging on rainy days. Every few months, aerate your lawn by working a pitchfork a few centimetres into the soil to allow in water and fertiliser and oxygenate grass roots.
6. Install a heated towel rail
Head over to your local bathroom supply store or browse online and find a heated towel rail for added comfort and warmth in winter. Depending on the model selected and your DIY skill level you may need professional help with the installation, but this worthy investment will pay dividends by pampering the entire household with toasty dry towels. Just remember to turn it on well before you hop into the shower to give it time to heat up.
Head over to your local bathroom supply store or browse online and find a heated towel rail for added comfort and warmth in winter. Depending on the model selected and your DIY skill level you may need professional help with the installation, but this worthy investment will pay dividends by pampering the entire household with toasty dry towels. Just remember to turn it on well before you hop into the shower to give it time to heat up.
7. Stop draughts
If you suspect you may have a draughty old window or door, place a lit candle in front of it and see if the flame flickers. Visit your local hardware store to find easy-to-use, self-adhesive rubber strips for window frames to keep the cold out, and follow Nan’s trend by placing a good ole door snake at the base of external doors.
If you suspect you may have a draughty old window or door, place a lit candle in front of it and see if the flame flickers. Visit your local hardware store to find easy-to-use, self-adhesive rubber strips for window frames to keep the cold out, and follow Nan’s trend by placing a good ole door snake at the base of external doors.
8. Swap your seasonal wardrobe
Unless you’re one of those lucky souls who’s blessed with ample closet space, now is the time to sort through your summer clothing, make any small repairs that are needed or take them to a dry cleaner for professional care, then pack them up for storage. Airtight plastic containers are the safest portable option as bugs and rats can’t infiltrate them. If you’re really short on space, buy vacuum-activated space bags that compress oodles of clothing into a slender parcel and can be stored under a bed.
Unless you’re one of those lucky souls who’s blessed with ample closet space, now is the time to sort through your summer clothing, make any small repairs that are needed or take them to a dry cleaner for professional care, then pack them up for storage. Airtight plastic containers are the safest portable option as bugs and rats can’t infiltrate them. If you’re really short on space, buy vacuum-activated space bags that compress oodles of clothing into a slender parcel and can be stored under a bed.
9. Clear out your gutters
It’s safe to say that autumn’s bracing winds and winter’s rainy days are going to cause some clogging of gutters, so before it gets too cold and wet, hop up on a ladder on a dry day and clear out the gutters. Remember to follow all safety precautions for your
type of ladder, and if your gutters are above six metres in height (the safest upper limit for working on a ladder), you may need to hire a professional to
clear them for you.
It’s safe to say that autumn’s bracing winds and winter’s rainy days are going to cause some clogging of gutters, so before it gets too cold and wet, hop up on a ladder on a dry day and clear out the gutters. Remember to follow all safety precautions for your
type of ladder, and if your gutters are above six metres in height (the safest upper limit for working on a ladder), you may need to hire a professional to
clear them for you.
10. Check your smoke alarms
You’ll be using heaters and fireplaces in the cooler months, so prevent disasters by checking your smoke alarms and replacing the batteries if they are not hard-wired. Fire safety risk is at its peak when you are asleep at night. Therefore, the general rule is that alarms be placed outside bedrooms where they can be heard by sleeping residents, such as in a hallway. There are different rules for units and houses, and homes with more than one storey, so contact your local fire authority for more information.
You’ll be using heaters and fireplaces in the cooler months, so prevent disasters by checking your smoke alarms and replacing the batteries if they are not hard-wired. Fire safety risk is at its peak when you are asleep at night. Therefore, the general rule is that alarms be placed outside bedrooms where they can be heard by sleeping residents, such as in a hallway. There are different rules for units and houses, and homes with more than one storey, so contact your local fire authority for more information.
A wall-mounted, benchtop or windowsill herb garden is just the trick to give yourself an early start on the spring planting season. Try hardy varieties such as mint, parsley, basil and chives. You could also grow low-maintenance sprouts that grow within a week or so and offer great nutritional value. Try growing alfalfa, watercress, fenugreek, mustard and snow pea sprouts in a sunny spot in the kitchen. Sprout starter packs with layered containers can be bought inexpensively at garden supply stores.