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Winter can be the best time of the year to really get things done — on the inside of your home.
Thanks to snow on the ground and chilly temperatures in the air, winter does a nice job putting our outdoor distractions — yard work, washing the car, golf — on hold for a few months. So why not spend that time stuck in your house working on your house?
Your first winter home improvement tip is a simple one. From closets to bathrooms, another “easy” and effective alternative to an expensive remodel is a simple replacement of doors and their trim throughout your home. Take a closer look at the doors you currently have. There’s a good chance you’ll find scratches, outdated hardware, retro styling, etc.
Today, new doors are available in a variety of styles, sizes and colors, making it easier to add interest and a more modern look to the interior of your home. Hardware options for doors — hinges, hooks and door knobs — are also in ample supply. Some hardware finishes like aged bronze and brushed nickel can give any door that Restoration Hardware look with just a couple turns of the screw.
If you want to give your kitchen a completely new look, but don’t have the budget or the energy to completely remodel it, paint your kitchen cabinets. You know the instant impact a fresh coat of paint can have. It's a quick and east way to update your kitchen cabinets without going through the trouble of replacing them.
If you want to take it a step further, add a customized tile backsplash. Backsplashes have become the perfect kitchen accessory, and are excellent at emphasizing countertops and appliances. Bold tile work can also add texture and a bit of flashiness to an otherwise dull kitchen setting.
Select a simple texture for your backsplash with single colour tiles, or go for a patterned look. Choose the color that best fits the style of your kitchen. There are plenty of options and ideas availble to you when it comes to backsplashing your kitchen!
From wood to carpet and laminate to marble, there are so many different directions you can go if you aren’t happy with the look of the floors in your home. If replacing your old carpet or adding wood flooring is something you have in mind, then you’ll want to know that the drier winter air will help speed up the drying time for any adhesive you may use in the process.
Or maybe a cold wood floor makes you shiver just thinking about it. If it’s comfort you’re looking to add, new carpeting can be just the solution for those early morning walks to the bathroom.
Sometimes a simple rug will be enough to make your space feel complete. There are plenty of things to consider when selecting a rug, like room size and the furniture in the room, so make sure to put some thought into your new rug.
A fresh coat of paint can give anything in your home a new, updated look. And now that many of today’s paints are more eco-friendly and water-based or synthetic, painting inside in the winter is much safer than ever before.
Painting is a great winter home renovation because you can really pace yourself throughout the winter, especially if you’re looking to paint more than one room. To keep yourself from getting overwhelmed, try painting a wall a day, or one room per week.
Turning a drab den into a bright guest room can provide some great visual stimulation in the dead of winter. Again, winter’s dryness will help your paint dry faster than at any other time of year.
Take the time this winter to kill two birds with one stone by insulating and decluttering your attic. Whether you need to increase insulation or replace it, new insulation in your attic can help keep heating costs down. Remember, heat rises. While you’re at it, be sure to caulk and seal off any leaks around windows and door frames.
If you happen to use your attic as an area for storage, take some time to assess anything you’ve packed away up there. Should it stay or should it go? What can you live without? Get a jump on spring cleaning by decluttering your attic now.
Insulating your home is no good if there are cracks and openings around your house. You’ll want to go to every room and check the windows and doors leading to the outside. Examine the area around them and see if you can feel a draft coming through.
Sealing the cracks around your house is simple, all you need is some insulating spray foam. Applying this sealer will stop the cold drafts in the winter and prevent moisture building up which can eventually lead to mold.
If you’d like to give the rooms of your home an update, a simple change you can make is to update the light fixtures in your home. It’s simple to switch out to something that fits the style of each room and this way you can add mood lighting during the winter season.
You can even look for ones that are energy efficient by including a dimmer option. Dimmer's make excellent mood lighting for when you need a more relaxing evening. It is typically a darker time of the year, so updating your light fixtures to provide enough light is an important home renovation in winter.
With features such as smoke detection and carbon monoxide detectors, you’ll want to be sure your detectors are working properly. It’s easy to forget the smoke detectors are there as you rarely use them. When the battery is running low often times, they’ll have a beeping indicator to alert you it’s time to change the batteries.
Many smoke detectors have expiry dates as well, so if it’s been a while, check the date and update or upgrade your detector to the latest model to keep your family and home safe this winter. According to the Red Cross, December is one of the months with the most house fires, so it’s an excellent idea to preemptively change the batteries of your smoke detector.
Home fires can happen at any time, but they generally increase during the fall and winter, with December and January being the peak months.
- American Red Cross
The benefits of coating your garage floors in paint are numerous. The paint will help keep the floors intact which will benefit the homes resale value. Painting the garage floor will make cleaning your garage feel less like a chore and more seamless.
To get this done, just move any items out of the garage or to one side. This is a great opportunity to cleanout at least some of the junk you have in your garage.
Sweep and hose the dirt out of your garage so that the paint sticks to the floor better (using a broom and squeegee helps). As this is a winter home renovation, you'll want to make sure to get any snow or slush out!
Use a paint roller to apply the floor paint to the garage floor. One coat of paint should be enough but if you have extra paint, you can always apply a second coat for good measure.
Switching the lightbulbs in your home to LED lights is a quick and easy way to update the interior of your home in an eco-friendly way. LED lights last 25 times longer and use up around 75% less energy than a regular lightbulb.
Less energy being used means you’ll be saving a significant amount of money on your energy bill. This is one of the best winter home improvement project because you can do it all from the warmth of your home!
Typically, you’d like to change your HVAC filter every 3 months. Before the winter season begins and the cold kicks into full gear you’ll want to take a look at your water boiler levels to ensure it’s at an appropriate level. If you’re not sure how to perform proper heating maintenance, consider hiring an expert to look if it hasn’t been serviced in quite some time.
Another way to ensure your home has the best heating maintenance is to install a programmable thermostat. This way you can customize your home’s heating and don’t have to worry about having it set every day.
With a programmable thermostat you can save on monthly heating bills. Set the thermostat to an off or low temperature when you and your family are out of the home, like when they are at work or school for example. You can also program it to always turn on just before the family arrives home, so that the home is nice and toasty during the winter months. Controlling the thermostat this way is a fantastic eco-friendly way to perform heating maintenance and a great winter home improvement.
Generally, most air filter manufacturers and HVAC companies recommend changing your air filter every 90 days, or 3 months.
- Paschal
Just because the laundry room is a space where you get your dirty clothes cleaned, it doesn’t mean you can’t spruce it up and make use of the space for more than just cleaning. Being stuck inside during the winter season means you can put your time into making your laundry room a comfortable space.
Add art décor and nice shelving with storage containers to store your cleaning supplies. Adding a countertop area can be used to fold laundry for added convenience. Style it up to make it an inviting space to be in-- you do spend quite some time getting your chores done in there after all.
One of the best winter home improvement project you can make is to add crown molding to your rooms. Not only will it make your indoor space look fabulous, but it’ll also increase the home value should you want to sell the home down the road.
Adding crown molding doesn’t have to be an expensive ordeal. Shop around and find quality crown molding as well as someone who can install it that has the expertise and won’t break your budget.
When it comes to winter home renovations, adding crown molding to your home is one that has a great return on your investment.
Switch out your old bathroom vanity with a brand new one. This will give your bathroom an updated look without needing to do too much to it. The lack of painting and harsh chemicals needed for this home renovation in winter means you won’t need to keep the windows cracked open for several hours.
Switching out the faucet is also a simple task that you can DIY to update your bathroom. Nobody wants to deal with messy renovations during the winter months, which is why a new faucet is the way to go to update your bathroom. If you look for a faucet that can help you save water, then it’ll be a bonus for the environment and your wallet!
Sometimes it feels like there’s no place to store things in the kitchen. This is when you know it’s time to organize the space and incorporate some time of kitchen storage. One way to organize your larger kitchen utensils is to install some hooks along the backsplash to hang ladles, spatulas, and the rest.
If you’re a collector of novelty mugs, consider clearing the kitchen cabinets space and instead hanging the mugs to put them on display. Installing a peg board on your kitchen wall is a great way to achieve this look, and it'll make it easier to grab a mug when you’re in need of some coffee.
Use containers to store away non-perishable food in the pantry and install some new shelves to make use of all the empty space you’re not currently using.
What makes home renovations in the winter so great is that you don't need to worry about being outside in the cold! There are plenty of renovations that can be done inside safe from the brisk wind. If you're wondering where you'll put any debris that may develop from your winter home improvement project, fear not.
Often times you'll find that a home renovation in winter is cheaper than doing it during peak season. Many contractors are looking for work during the slower, colder months.
Booking a Dumpster Rental allows you to toss all your junk and debris into a container and have someone else take it away. You can book from your local dumpster rental company, but Bin There Dump That Clean, Green Dumpsters are perfect for the colder weather.
Winter home improvement tips require a roll-off dumpster rental. And once you decide on the right project for your home this winter, visit the Bin There Dump That website to find the franchise operator nearest you and set up your residential dumpster rental.
For even more home improvement inspiration, check out our recent blog post on our favorite remodeling and renovation websites.
