Mendwell Winter Ready
Getting your property ready for winter
If you searched for Mendwell Winter Ready from our flier, this is the page. The checklist is below, along with what each item costs to leave, and you can book a visit yourself at a time that suits you.
Why autumn, not January
Winter work is easier and tidier when it is booked before the weather turns. A gutter cleared on a dry afternoon in September is a straightforward job. The same gutter in January is a different one.
If you are not sure whether something needs doing, ask us and we will tell you honestly. There is no charge for that.
The winter checklist
Five things worth looking at before the weather turns, what to look for, and what it tends to cost to leave. These are examples rather than a menu: if it is on your property and it needs doing, ask.
Gutters cleared, resealed and re-fixed
What to look for: green streaks or dark staining under a gutter run, plants growing in the gutter, water sheeting over the edge in rain. A part blocked gutter does not look blocked. Left over winter, water down the wall stains render, softens window frames and can find its way inside.
Drains and gullies checked and cleared
What to look for: water pooling around a gully after rain, a grating buried in leaves or silt, a drain that gurgles or empties slowly. Left, a blocked gully sends winter rain towards the house wall instead of away from it, and frozen standing water lifts paving.
Roof, flashing and fascia inspection
What to look for: a slipped or cracked tile visible from the ground, lifted flashing at a chimney or join, peeling paint or soft spots on fascia boards. Left, a small gap becomes a leak in the first driving rain, and a winter leak is found by the damp patch on a ceiling.
Fence repairs, re-posting and re-fixing
What to look for: a post that moves when pushed, panels rattling in wind, softness at the ground line. Most fence failures happen in the first big winter wind, almost always at a post already soft at the base. Re-fixing before the storms is far less work than lifting a panel out of a neighbour’s garden after.
Fence posts that are cracking or starting to move
Push gently on each post at about waist height. A post that rocks at the ground, or a concrete post with a crack running across it, is the one that goes in the first winter gale and takes the panels either side with it. Replacing one post in calm weather is a small job. Rebuilding a run after a storm is not.
Outdoor timber that has gone grey and bare
Gates, fence panels, sheds and garden furniture that have weathered to grey have lost their protection. Bare timber takes in water all winter, swells, and starts to rot at the joints and the bottom edges. A coat of preservative on a dry day before the weather turns gives it another season.
Exterior sealing to doors, windows and timber
What to look for: cracked or shrunken mastic around frames, bare timber on sills, draughts at doors. Left, water gets behind the seal and into the timber, and what would have been a tube of sealant in October becomes a repair in spring.
We have not put prices against these because every property is different. The visit and the written quote are free, with no obligation afterwards, and the quote tells you what each item actually costs on your property.
Book your visit
Tell us the month that suits you and we will confirm your week a few days ahead. Visits sit in set weekly windows, so the slot you choose is the slot you get.