We still hope for an Indian summer, but the temperatures are dropping now. For now, autumn and winter are coming, so we better get ready for that. We have a sea climate here, so autumn and winter can be very wet. Here are some general things about maintaining your Dutch house in the autumn that will work in your advantage. We hope you will save time and energy later on.
Maintaining your Dutch house in the autumn
Exterior maintenance
In my life, I have seen a lot of houses and every house has its issues. Ideally, a house keeps the rain outside, and the warmth inside in the autumn and winter. That sounds easy, but in reality, it isn’t always that easy. Things you can do yourself to run well through the winter:
- Empty the gutters. In autumn, a lot of leaves can collect there, and it can cause leakage. So climb up the stairs and take care of your safety!
- While emptying the gutters, you could check if the roof tiles are still in place and undamaged. If not, push them back in the place or replace them.
- For flat roofs, an inspection is recommended too. Is the drain still working? Are there plants growing which need to be removed?
Other things to keep an eye on
While inspecting, have a look at the wood on the house’s exterior. You can check on:
– Is the sealant intact
– Are there any mat spots on the painting, can you see cracks? This seems to be of no importance, but when water drops in, larger problems are coming, like wood rot. And I think nobody wants to pay for something which could be prevented easily.
– The state of the bricks. Do you see cracks? Or, is moss growing?
– Are the rubbers around doors and windows still flexible? Are they fit tight?
– The cleanliness and functionality of the ventilation grills.
To help you, we developed a maintenance calendar, which you can download for free here.
Maintaining the interior of your Dutch house in the autumn
Then the interior. A healthy climate inside the house is important for your health. Nowadays, we work a lot at home, so you better stay healthy. So keep in mind that you should ventilate your house 10 minutes each day, winter and summer, by opening every door and window. The reason is that moist air is discharged outside, while dry-clean air will replace it. In this way, your energy bill will be reduced, too.
- Check if the filters of your ventilation unit need replacement and clean the unit.
- Test the fire installation.
- Fill the water reservoir of the CV kettle and let the air out of the radiators.
- Schedule maintenance for the CV kettle (normally once a year).
- Are there any energy-saving measures you can take? Like insulation foil on the back of radiators? Replacing bulbs with LED bulbs? Are the settings for the thermostat at the right temperature for the night, day, and evening?
Hopefully, you run smoothly through winter and enjoy the warmth inside. By maintaining your Dutch house in the autumn, you certainly will survive!
Background information:
My favourite part of my studies was all about maintaining buildings. Every building is unique in its own way and that is very interesting.
Start maintaining your house is sometimes a challenge. To help you to remember what to do when, you can download the maintenance calendar for free.
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