9 tips to prevent frost damage to your home and garden

3 Thermostat

Are you going to be away from home for a little while, like for a ski trip, for example? Never turn off the thermostat completely. Turn it down to something like 14 degrees Celsius. The costs of heating an empty house are nothing compared to the costs of repairing a burst pipe, which is exactly what could happen to an unheated water pipe.

4. Pipe insulation

It’s smart to insulate water pipes in unheated spaces like the basement or the crawlspace using pipe insulation. This type of insulation can prevent a lot of frost damage to the water pipes in your home during winter.

5. Frozen water pipe

Has there been heavy frost and were you too late with the insulation and are you now noticing you’ve got a frozen water pipe? You can easily defrost it yourself by heating it with a blowdryer.

6. Garden plants

Plants that are sensitive to the cold need considerable protection during winter. You can protect these plants with a layer of leaves or bubble wrap. Cover pruned roses with potting soil.

7. Terracotta flower pots

Got some terracotta flower pots? The will probably break if the water in them freezes during winter. Prepare the pots by placing a few pieces of wood on the bottom of them so any excess water can drain out through the drain holes.

8. Rabbit hutch

Do you have rabbits outside in a rabbit hutch? Don’t immediately bring the animals inside, as it’s been outside for the entire winter already. Because of their winter fur, rabbits can deal with the frost just fine. It is a good idea to protect your furry friends against the frost a little by placing a cloth or something similar over the hutch and giving them some extra straw as well. Want to bring your rabbit inside? Put it in an unheated room. Otherwise, the poor animal will be much too hot due to its winter fur.

9. Birds

Birds can do with a little extra help during winter as well. Don’t just hang fat balls here and there; birds can get their little feet stuck in the mesh netting. Instead, fill birdhouses with food and make sure the birds can drink by crushing any water in pots or fountains. It’s important to make sure the bird food doesn’t contain salt.

Read more: Avoid car damage with THESE tricks to remove brine and salt residue during winter!

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