Cold weather latest: How to keep your home warm this Christmas as Britain faces icy blast
COLD WEATHER has swept across Britain and will see the UK facing a chilly Christmas this year. So as the family gather around the tree or sit down to the festive turkey, here is how you can keep your home warm.
Met Office forecast ‘frost and fog patches’ over Christmas
It’s a familiar festive scene - children unwrapping presents from under the tree, the turkey being carved at the dining table, and families sitting round to watch the Queen’s Speech on the television. Be it rain or snow this Christmas, a warm home is all anyone can ask for as the temperatures outside dip.
The Met Office forecast predicts it will be “sunny but chilly on Christmas Day, turning more unsettled through Boxing Day with rain and strong winds pushing east.
“By Friday cloudy and mild, with rain mostly across the northwest.”
BBC meteorologist Stav Danos warned that the weather over Europe is “looking very unsettled” in the run-up to Christmas, with an Atlantic cold front bringing a huge plunge in temperatures across western and northern Europe.
He said: “The weather is looking very unsettled over the next few days.
“Strong winds, and heavy rain for northern Spain, with flooding issues over western Spain that has been ever so wet there and Portugal recently.
“A cold story over much of Scandinavia and into the Baltic states, with some snow likely here.”
With the cold weather already here, the drop in temperatures can cause all sorts of damage to your home - and also just add to the winter blues.
Now home interiors specialists at www.Hilarys.com have shared their top tips to keep your home warm this Christmas.
Keep your heating low
You may think you’re saving money by switching your heating on and off, but this can wreak havoc on your home during a cold spell.
Instead, you should keep your heating on low, ensuring your pipes stay at a constant temperature.
This means they won’t get cold enough to freeze in sub-zero temperatures.
Look after your boiler
Make sure you service your boiler annually, preferably before the colder weather comes in.
This will help make sure that it doesn’t break down when it’s cold outside and you need it the most.
You should also take steps to prevent your boiler breaking down by covering pipes in weather-proof insulation, preventing freezing and making sure your boiler is working to its full potential.
Don’t neglect your outside taps
Outside taps and underground pipes are notorious for freezing in the cold weather, especially if they go unused.
Allow your taps to drip in the freezing temperatures, keeping water flowing and preventing freezing.
To prevent pipes from splitting, wrap them in weather insulation, helping to ease the build-up of pressure.
Double glazing
Double glazed windows can be an absolute nightmare when it’s cold outside and the heating’s raging inside thanks to the ever-present the condensation.
Keeping on top of condensation can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.
First, check for any damage around the seal of your window as this will be the first area allowing water in.
Wipe down window sills morning and night to remove excess moisture and allow enough air circulation by keeping a few windows open ajar.
Check your fireplace
There’s nothing like curling up in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night, but make sure that before you light that first bit of kindling your fireplace and chimney are clutter free.
Falling debris can catch fire and cause excess soot into your home.
Additionally, keep heat from escaping by keeping the flue closed, meaning you also won’t fall victim to a cold breeze coming down the chimney.
Ice dams
Icicles and chunks of ice can prevent excess precipitation from running off your roof, meaning that it can’t properly drain and can cause leaks in your roof.
The last thing you need during the winter months is damp seeping through your roof, so before the temperature really drops make sure your gutters are cleared.