I don't know about you but from what I remember we usually had pretty mild winters, with rarely any snow. But the past couple of years have shown just how much things are changing. We have seen devastating flooding up and down the country in winter, as well as freezing temperatures and inches upon inches of snow.
As it isn’t something that happens all year round for us, we can be a little reluctant to spend large amounts of money on snow tires, snowplows, and all of that other stuff that could really help (they would be stored away more than they would be used). But there are plenty of things that we can do to make sure that we have a home and family that is all ready for winter. Here are some of the steps to be thinking about:
Check Your Tyres
If you are a driver, then now is the time to be checking your car, especially your tires, before the temperatures drop too much. In icy conditions, the tires need plenty of grip in order to keep control and steer well. So even if your tires are at the legal limit, they could still need to be checked or replaced. If there are signs of wear and tear on the tires too, that can also make a difference, as in cold temperatures, any cuts could let water in, and that can freeze and crack, leading to more damage if they haven’t been checked.
Emergency List
We all have our phones will us at all times, but if you get stuck somewhere due to snow, ice, or flooding, and the battery runs out on your phone, would you know how to contact people? Because we have our phones, we rarely learn someone’s number anymore. So it can be a good idea to have an emergency contact list for at home as well as out and about and in the car, and so on. It could have family and friends that you’d need to call, as well as breakdown cover numbers, insurers, schools, plumbers, and anyone else that you might need to call in an emergency. It doesn’t take long to get a list together but it can make such a difference.
Also, just in case you get stranded somewhere, you should always have an emergency kit in your car just in case. In that kit you can put one or two flashlights, a blanket, something to eat (like biscuits or so), a bottle of water, hand warmers and good tools just in case you need to repair something. You can learn more here.
Pipes and Stop Tap
Now is the time that the heating is going to be on in the home much more than ever before. So are the pipes in good working order? The pipes could be insulated to help to keep the heat in even more, and that can help to prevent freezing water in the pipes that could lead to damage (why you need a plumber on speed dial just in case)! Another thing is to know where your stop tap and your winter instruments pressure transmitter are. If there is flooding or a pipe bursts and water leaks, would you know how to switch off your water supply until someone could get there? This is all part of keeping you safe over winter.
Food Storage
It's very important to have some basic food stored in the house. You never know how much snow this winter is going to bring, so having backup food storage just in case you can't make it to the supermarket is crucial.
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