Autumn brings with it cooler temperatures and shorter days. It’s the season of crunchy leaves, Halloween, Bonfire Night and pumpkin themed everything. Autumn is also the perfect time to tidy up outside and start making inside living spaces feel cosy, comfortable and warm.
Here are some of our top tips and essential products to make sure your home and garden is ready for the colder, and wetter, seasons ahead.
Tidy up and protect decks and patios
We advise cleaning your patio twice a year – at the end of winter AND the end of summer. This ensures that your patio is protected against unwanted green growth that can make it look old and tired.
As well as this it’s important to regularly brush decked and paved areas throughout autumn and winter. Regular sweeping protects against a buildup of dirt and leaves that can cause staining on wood and paving and cause fungal growth that could lead to damage.
Prepare flower beds and borders for the cold
Mulching flower beds in the autumn helps to supress pesky weeds and also increases water retention and improves soil quality. Using high quality products such as our compost mulch or bark can also make flower beds look neater through the autumn and protect plant roots from frosts.
Garden tools for all your garden jobs
Gloves, tubs and buckets and wheelbarrows are all essential tools when preparing your garden for autumn and winter. We have a huge variety of gloves for any job as well as multiple sizes of buckets, meaning whatever garden job you want to tackle, you can get all your tools in one place.
Check guttering and fencing
Autumn is an important time to clean and inspect your gutters. Clogged gutters can lead to water getting into places you’d rather it didn’t. A pair of gloves helps make the job a little less messy. Once your gutters are free from leaves and other debris, make sure you check for any damage and repair or replace any broken areas.
Make sure you clear any branches that overhang you gutter to avoid any future damage. You can also install gutter guards. These are easy to purchase from your local depot, you can find their contact details here.
We suggest doing this job in early autumn before the colder months and wetter weather really hit. It can save you money this way before bad weather leads to any more damage.
It’s also a good idea to check over your fences at the end of summer, once you’ve trimmed back any greenery for the winter and you can get a better look. Any damage or wear and tear could be made worse over the autumn and winter, and could also lead to your garden not being as secure as you think it is. The best way to avoid this is to replace any old fence panels.
If you’ve got concrete slotted posts this is an easy job to do, however can be a bit more tricky if you opted for timber posts which may also need replacing. Check out our fencing guides for the best way to install and look after your fencing.
Insulate your home
Autumn is a great time to make sure your home is properly insulated as you don’t have to deal with more extreme temperatures that can make the process more uncomfortable. Additionally, you’ll be able to enjoy the full benefits in time for winter, when it is the most energy-efficient to have good, high-quality insulation installed. Consider investing in loft and wall insulation to make this cost effective.
Freshen up your interior space with a lick of paint
As the summer months end and we are indoors more, you might notice your walls and woodwork are looking a little tired. Decorating at the beginning of autumn means your home feels clean and fresh in time for the colder, darker days, and is also ready for entertaining when the big-C rolls around.
We suggest keeping things neutral with white, cream or grey paint. This means you can bring in pops of colour and personality with soft furnishings, artwork and trinkets that can easily be changed if you ever fancy a refresh.
Touching up woodwork that has been bashed or chipped is also a good thing to tick of the list as Autumn starts. It can really make a difference to the way your living spaces look and feel.
Update internal doors
New internal doors that are fitted properly have two benefits, making your home more energy efficient by better excluding draughts, and also revamping your rooms. We have a wide range of doors in several finishes such as natural wood, white and black as well as glazed and unglazed options.
A large range of our doors also come in a fire rated option for properties that require them.
Check out our internal doors buying guide for more information on choosing the best internal doors for your property.
Did you know? We’ve got a doors and windows showroom on our site in Quarry Lane, Chichester. Pop down to browse a range of doors and windows and have a chat with our experts for more information on the range of doors we have on offer and how we can find the best product for you.
Refresh your skirting and architrave
Installing or replacing your skirting and architrave is a great way to elevate the look of any room. Whether it’s looking a bit tired, or you just want to add some more detail to a room. While it might not sound like the most exciting thing, the right mouldings are a great feature for internal spaces.
We carry a wide range of both skirting and architrave to suit any home and any preference. Whether you want a natural wood look, or something a bit more sleek and modern. Check out our full range online now or if you’re not sure where to start check out our skirting and architrave buying guide.