Dont Let Your Home Catch A Cold

(Winter can be a depressing time for many people and especially their homes.)

While you are inside snuggled up in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate, your home is getting pounded with damaging weather, stripping its paint and creating a dull, drab appearance both inside and outside.

So, instead of just going through the routine motions of waking up everyday waiting for spring to come to freshen up the house, you should take initiative to rejuvenate your home before or during the holidays.

The article, "Protect Your Home from Winter's Chill," written by Andrea N. Browne and published in the November 15, 2006 edition of the Washington Post, provides helpful tips on how to create a warm, bright appearance in the coldest, darkest months.

"As fall rolls in with winter close behind, home improvement experts say homeowners should take preventive measures and prepare for cold weather. Protecting the outside of your home can lower energy costs, while updates to the interior can warm up spaces where friends and family will gather for the holidays."

There are plenty of projects you can do yourself on a moderate budget that will create this overall appeal.

The first thing to know is that greenery is not just for spring and summer. In order to preserve the perennials that often die in the winter, you can store them in weatherproof containers with lots of soil and keep them outside. They may fade in appearance but will not die. You can create a more lively appeal to the landscape by planting a few small evergreens. They keep their illustrious color and bushy body year-round, according to Suzy Bales, garden editor for Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Now that you have a lively appearance, protect against the blustery conditions.

"Two outdoor fixes you should perform during cold-weather months are gutter cleaning and caulking, according to America Online Home Improvement Editor Tom Kraeutler."

Keeping your gutters clean will prevent clogs which build up from wet weather forming mud or creating heavy leaves. This unnecessary weight can do irrevocable damage to your property's foundation and structure.

"Caulking, meanwhile, is something else homeowners commonly neglect. Before winds pick up and snow starts to fall, Kraeutler recommends caulking to block air leaks around doors, windows and electric outlets. Doing this, he explains, prevents cold outside air from seeping into the home, thus lowering heating costs."

Once the insulation and structure is secure, focus on eliminating as much gloom as possible. When the cold weather brings gray skies, repainting your interior walls can have a fantastic impact on the dynamic of your house and attitude.

"It's a fairly simple project you can do on your own, and can be done in days or even hours depending on the number of rooms you plan to tackle," says Taniya Nayak, interior designer and expert for HGTV's "Designed to Sell."

The best colors to choice for interior walls should be neutral and not match surrounding furniture.

The last thing you may want to focus one to complete the "makeover" is refurbishing what is old to look new again.

"Do-it-yourselfers can also spruce up rooms in need of new life with simple tweaks. In the kitchen, suggests Nayak, consider updating the hardware. Replacing the knobs on cabinets and drawers can really modernize a room; be sure to stick to simple designs and remember to keep the same spread or distance between each. Nayak recommends stainless steel, which she likes for its clean lines and 'sparkle.'"

The hardest part of doing all of this work is to actually get up and do it. The cold months makes most of all just want to lie on the couch but once you see the difference of your home's feel and appeal with a little creativity, you will not want to stop.

Back to Articles