Living somewhere cold can be really beautiful; winter vistas of snow and frozen lakes come to mind, but actually it can also come with a lot of issues. If you’re new to a cold area, hopefully these points will help you to deal with some of the problems that can arise.
- Household problems
When you’re living in a cold climate, this can come with a whole host of issues for you and your house – especially if you’re living in an old house. As lovely as these old buildings are, they can be problematic especially in the winter months and you may find yourself contending with drafty windows and doors and even frozen pipes. It’s important to get ahead of these issues, and in the warmer months look into sealing up those drafty holes and discussing the best pipe insulation solutions – sometimes, something as simple as wrapping a foam tube around them can do the trick!
- Wildlife
Depending on where you live, the wildlife will obviously vary greatly – but as the climate changes and weather patterns become less reliable, some creatures and plants will find their usual routines disrupted. Keep an eye out for any furry friends who might be in trouble and be prepared to call a local animal rescue centre – and additionally regularly inspect for animals who may try to make a warm home out of your crawl or roof space.
- Access issues
Especially if you live in rural areas, access can become an issue in the colder months as roads become too muddy or icy to pass easily, even in a good vehicle. If you know this is going to be an issue for you – or even your community more widely, – why not consider hiring access equipment from a company such as Northern Mat to ensure you stay connected and accessible throughout the cold weather. Additionally to helping you to travel, using such equipment can also provide protection to the ground so it isn’t as damaged by the harsh weather or the impact of struggling vehicles when the warm weather comes back around.
- Plants
Your houseplants are probably pretty safe; even though the internal temperature does drop during cold months, it’s unlikely any of them will struggle with succumb to the conditions. However, if you have any treasured garden pot plants it is certainly a good idea to bring them inside for the winter months – otherwise you will find yourself with some very unwell or probably dead plants come spring. Though some plants are hardy, many aren’t built to withstand a significantly changing environment and the best thing to do to keep them healthy is to care for them indoors or in a greenhouse over winter.
- Pets
Most animals have a fairly good sense of what they can and cannot handle weather wise, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about keeping cats and dogs inside as they will do it themselves. However, it is more important than ever to ensure they are well fed and that their night time location is kept warm – and especially with dogs, investing in little boots or jumpers and keeping walks shorter than the summer months will ensure the cold weather doesn’t harm them.
Cold winters can be really painful and troublesome, but hopefully these suggestions will help you weather them a little more easily.