Preparing your home for winter

Winter is coming, and this will soon be bringing strong winds and heavy rain to much of Australia.

In order to make sure your house is safe and secure over the next few months, it might be a good idea to do a few quick DIY jobs before the bad weather really sets in.

Clean out the gutter

If dead leaves and other clutter has blocked up your gutter system, now is the time to clean it out properly and ensure it is doing its job. Make sure your ladder or scissor lift is properly positioned before starting, and use a gutter scoop to remove any dirt or rubbish that has piled up.

You can test your work afterwards by using a garden hose to spray some water down your gutter pipes. If it does not flow freely you may have another blockage.

Chop down excess tree branches

If there are any overgrown tree branches hanging near your property then it may pay to chop these down before the wind turns them into a potential hazard.

This is another area where it is important to use your equipment safely, as you will be working at heights, and always read the instructions if you are using a scissor lift or other such device.

Clean out your chimney

If you have a fireplace then it's time to make sure that your chimney is clean and free of any debris that might make it a hazard when you have a roaring fire going.

Safety is very important for this job, so make sure you know what you are doing before you start. Only go up on the roof of your house when the weather is calm and settled and take care not to inhale too much ash or soot along the way.