Seven ways you can prepare your park home for winter

David Brock, managing director of park home specialist GoldShield, shares his top tips on how to stay nice and warm in your park home during the cold winter months.

For many people, moving to a park home in a beautiful, rural location offers the chance to wind down and live the dream. These single-storey bungalow style homes are also ideal for those with health and mobility problems, however, when it comes to winter, park homes can pose an increased risk — especially for the elderly.

While modern park homes are built to energy efficiency standards — requiring certain levels of insulation and protection from the elements — many older models are far less so. With winter weather already well on its way, I will be sharing seven tips for preparing your park home through the colder months.

Stop draughts

The cold weather will always do its best to find a way into your home, so the moment you feel a draught you need to take action to lock in the heat. The edges of doors and windows are the biggest culprits, but you might find that there are tiny gaps elsewhere in your park home. Combat this problem yourself with some self-adhesive draught strips or caulk and work your way around the property sealing these gaps.

Check your boiler

Many homeowners have a boiler for years without ever getting it properly checked over. If this is you, or if you recently bought a second-hand park home and haven't had this checked, there is a chance you are wasting both energy and money. Getting your boiler checked over before the winter months will ensure it won't let you down once the freezing weather comes. If you can afford to, consider upgrading to an eco boiler, which will help make you more energy efficient. 

Keep an eye on your radiators

A simple but often overlooked way to make your park home warmer is to ensure your radiators have been fully bled. Air builds up in the top of radiators, preventing heat from circulating correctly and reducing efficiency. Bleeding your radiators is not as complicated as it seems, follow this simple guide from uSwitch to get it done in minutes. You could even invest in some radiator insulation foil that sits on the wall behind and reflects heat back into the room.

Protect your pipes

As the mercury drops and water starts to freeze, your pipes run the risk of cracking and even breaking. This can be avoided fairly easily by getting your external pipes their own foam insulation, known as lagging, which will decrease heat loss and prevent freezing. If you plan to be away from your home for a few days, make sure your heating comes on for an hour or two to protect your internal pipes.

Look after your guttering

With strong winds and falling leaves, autumn is the worst time for your guttering. But if you don't clear them out in time for winter, you will be faced with more issues. Blocked gutters can easily become overburdened once snow and ice get into the mix, so clean them out before winter arrives. This can be done by simply getting some ladders, assessing the guttering, and removing any built-up debris by hand.

Check your skirting and vents

The skirting around the outside of your park home needs to be secured tightly to make sure draughts are excluded, but air bricks and vents should be kept clear to allow good air flow and prevent the build-up of condensation.

Extra safety

Preparing for winter isn't just about keeping warm, it's also about staying safe on icy surfaces. Consider purchasing some grit ahead of the icy months to keep your path and steps ice-free and prevent any slips. It could also be wise to install handrails along these paths as an extra measure of stability.

Keeping safe and warm in the winter should be a priority for everybody, so why not try out some of my top tips for ensuring your park home is winter-ready? It’s sure to be worth it in the long-run!