Home improvement fixes need not be complicated nor expensive. If you want to spruce up your home a bit without the extra hassle, here are a few easy things you can improve to give your house a refreshing new look.
1. Winter Gardens
While it seems an odd time for gardening, you can enhance your home’s landscaping by replacing your summer garden with winter blooms (name a few ‘winter blooms”) that can withstand the temperature. Add a little color to your gray winter by choosing the right planters and greeneries for the winter holiday season. Add picture of winter blooms.
2. Clean & Seal Patios
When the time comes to pack up the backyard fun and bunker down, Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland home improvement contractors recommend a few extra steps in order to prepare for the winter.
First, clean and store patio furniture to protect it from the winter elements and reduce the amount of work needed to refurnish once the weather starts warming up again.
Next, bring planters and flowerpots indoors because, unless they’re winter variety plants, the cold temperatures could cause them to crack or shatter. Protection from moisture that melts and then freezes throughout the winter is the key to a beautiful patio come spring. The best temperature for staining and sealing your patio or wood deck is around 50 degrees. The cooler weather provides the optimal time frame to take advantage of this fact, as temperatures are mild and the air becomes drier.
3. Inspect and Guard your Gutters
With the snowy season underway, your gutters might sustain some damages and may cause your roof to collapse due to accumulation of snow and debris. Make sure your gutters are prepared for the battle. Look for cracks, clogs or deterioration that might not make it through the cold, windy and ice heavy season.
Cleaning out your gutters now will also prevent excessive buildup of organic material that can spill over and onto your newly cleaned patio. Organic debris is not only a pain to pick up; it can actually stain your patio and ruin its appearance.
4. Make Repairs
Before water seeps into patio cracks, freezes and then creates an even bigger problem come spring, repair cracks while the temperatures are prime for doing so. Sealants, cement and epoxies perform best in dry, fall temperatures. You’ll also want to check for holes or depressions caused by root growth, water or uneven surface stress. It’s also a prime time to replace those outdated patio doors for a newer model with winter guards that keep heat in and cold out.
5. Create a Cozy Winter-Friendly Environment
Finally, it’s easy to forget just how enjoyable the winter weather can be, even if the temperatures are a little on the frigid side. Add lights to railings and steps to allow for a safe and ambient entertaining space. Create a seating area around a fire pit, fireplace or chiminea and invest in thicker seat cushions to keep friends and family warm when the temps start to dip.
Before you call it quits and give in to this year’s winter blues, take some time to enjoy what’s left of warmer days and prepare for a grand opening next spring. Build while the temps are cool and the prices are low. Clean and seal decks, inspect and prepare gutter systems and repair patio cracks before winter makes them worse.
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