Just because the colder winter months have settled in; that doesn’t mean you need to slack up on home maintenance. You don’t need warm weather to take on some home improvement ideas. Whether it’s adding insulation or weather stripping or updating bathroom fixtures; don’t let the winter months stop you. Tackling a few home improvement projects while you’re stuck indoors for several weeks will make for fewer projects in spring.

Let’s talk about a few projects to get to during winter months.

Drain cleaning a bathtub

Re-caulk as needed 

Calk is the sealer that between your tile and countertops and bathtubs. It’s seals the area and keeps water from penetrating. This, in turn, will keep mold to a minimum. Speaking of mold; check the areas of your house that are caulked. If you discover any mold that cannot be removed, it’s a good idea to re-caulk. There are great tools available that help remove moldy caulk to prep for the new.  This is a relatively easy thing to DIY, so you shouldn’t need to hire a professional for this. The same goes for any areas that are missing caulk. Get those areas filled, protect your family and your investment.

Fresh caulk can give a renewed feeling to showers and bathtub areas.

Fix slow draining sinks or tubs

Are you finding yourself standing in several inches of water at the end of your showers? This is likely because there is hair clogging your drain. It’s an unpleasant chore, but pretty easy to fix. The drain may be unclogged simply by hand. Put on some gloves and remove any visible obstructions (like globs of hair). If this doesn’t clear the drain, try using a plumber’s snake. You can grab one at your hardware store. Run it down the drain and it should pull up any obstructions that are too deep to reach by hand.

If this doesn’t work; you can always try a liquid drain cleaner. Follow the instructions on the product and it should clear your drain. When all else fails; call a local plumber. They have a few different tools to use to clear the drain.

Check your windows

Your windows could be one of the more obvious places to focus on home improvements during the winter. They should keeping the cold out. If they aren’t, it might be worth finding a window replacement company to replace the old leaky windows. At the bare minimum, you need to be sure your window seals are holding. It could be you just need to reseal around windows and you could see an improvement.

If your windows are particularly old, newer more energy efficient windows could be worth the investment in the long term.

Update light fixtures

A winter project that can add new life to a room that isn’t particularly difficult is changing the light fixtures. Do you have a 1980s light bar over your bathroom mirror? Simply changing to a newer more modern light bar can instantly modernize the room. It also can provide light more appropriate for those who use the bathroom to put on make up and fix hair. The angle of the lighting can make a huge difference.    

Adding an updated light fixture to an older ceiling fan can elevate the style. It’s expensive to change out older ceiling fans in every room, but simply changing out the light fixture can make an elegant difference. And these are easy projects most homeowners can do themselves.

Update home security

Another great project for winter or anytime is to update your home’s security. There are many self install home security systems on the market. Even if you just alarm doors and windows, you’ll increase your family’s safety.

Adding wireless surveillance cameras around your house is a way to be able to quickly assess the cause of outdoor noises. Most of these wireless systems come with plans that allow you to continually record and access the data from your smart phone. These cameras can alert you when motion is detected so you can quickly look to see if an intruder is trying to make entry in real time. Your peace of mind is worth the investment.

These projects are easy and doable no matter the season; but don’t let the winter months stall home improvements.

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