As we’ve shared before on the Restumping Melbourne blog, ‘constant’ is a word that we appreciate and consistently use. It means that though we’re innovating every year and always growing, we know the practices and the information that never grow old. (Or as we say… timeless). Planning ahead for seasons is definitely one of these themes and it’s time to start winterizing. We see and visit a lot of properties that deal with the issues associated with colder weather and love to give out the most up-to-date advice every year so that this issue (or these issues) is/are as minimalized as possible.

*Of note, this is one of two for this month as we just have too much information to share in one blog post.

First of all, a friendly reminder to those who are unfamiliar: ‘what IS winterizing?” Winterizing is a great practice that at worst-case scenario assumes that the home is empty. Ignore that. If you’re in your home, you should still follow the same practices to make sure that your pipes don’t burst, that your heat doesn’t turn off… you get the picture. Here are some of our favourite tips at Restumping Melbourne:

Prepare the plumbing system. You want to purge all of the water out of your existing plumbing system, especially if you’re not going to be home. There’s nothing worse or more expensive than pipes bursting. And… nothing worse to come home to. That said, this advice is specific to those who are heading somewhere warmer for the season: Empty the water heater, drain the entire system of your pipes and bonus points if you’re able to look into filling different fixtures with anti-freeze. You can ask the Restumping Melbourne team for more details.

Insulation is also a key word here and a very important one. As this Yale Climate Connections article shares, “Living in an energy-efficient home does not just save money on utility bills. A well-insulated, weather-tight household heat longer than one that’s poorly insulated and drafty.”

Two other key tips for this post:

• Make sure that you schedule an inspection for both your furnace and your chimney at least on an annual basis.
• Make sure that you’re taking a look at your energy/power bills and consulting with experts if you need an energy audit to either understand it better or figure out how to lower it.

And while we’re talking about winterizing, the concept remains in the summer. You just want to do your research about the best ways to insulate, so that the hot air remains outside on warmer days, as does the cold air when winter comes calling.

According to this article, properly insulating and preparing your home for any season can save you upwards of a thousand dollars, as it mentions – especially important during COVID-19 if different families have been impacted. Whether it impacts you or not, this is vital information to know.

As mentioned, – this is one of two. There was just too much information to fit in one blog post and properly serve our community of customers and readers. So, stay tuned…

If you have additional questions heading into the colder seasons, please reach out to Restumping Melbourne. We’re experts at your foundations and reinforcing them, but we definitely also know our way around the other elements of a home to keep it warm and safe.

2021 as a calendar year will carry a lot of really exciting opportunities. We’ve already alluded to some and will continue to do so in the coming months. The Restumping Melbourne blog loves to continue traditions and when the seasons change, we say, “hey! What’s coming down the pipeline?” That’s certainly the case when seasons change and like it or not, it’s time that a season is changing. There are wonderful things about fall or autumn. The leaves are changing and providing beautiful vistas and backdrops for your properties, you’re able to enjoy certain beverages and good choices that just make sense now and the same goes for activities.

These are all great and good. Believe us, between our families, our friends, our customers and our teammates, we find every opportunity to not just celebrate life, but also the homes that we’ve worked so hard on. But in order to celebrate at these homes, we need to take good care of them. And when we say “we”, we most likely mean you. It’s not that hard, don’t worry, we cover off on this every year. But it’s time for the 2021 version. Here are the tasks that we think you should put on your list in the coming weeks. Read on for more information:

Take care of leaves. Everywhere. One of the most amateur mistakes homeowners can make is to just assume that the leaves you see scattered around your homes are the ones that need to be removed. Even more popular is the question, “what the heck do I do with these?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone. That said, there are a lot of nuances to leaf removal. You want to check your roof, your gutters, hard-to-reach places on any verandahs you have, etc. Luckily, if you don’t want to call the Restumping Melbourne team (which honestly, you should…), then check out the internet including articles like these.

Power washing is something that’s normally associated with heading into warmer months, but it’s a hidden known secret to cross it off heading into colder months too. It means that your outdoor spaces won’t accumulate any sort of damage from winter weather, nor will anything get lost, should there be inclement weather like snow. Not sure how to power wash? We’ve got your back. This is one of our favorite links to share.

We can’t give away all of our tips, but we will give away one more in today’s post. It’s time to take a look at your landscaping. We’re not just talking about flowers, but your grass, any plants, the whole look and feel. Don’t worry – you’re not going to have to get rid of it all. Even so, you’ll want to be strategic around just what’s going to work in cold weather, so you have a little bit of homework ahead of you. Looking for a tutor?  The Restumping Melbourne team is certainly always here for you.

When you hear the term Restumping Melbourne, (as we’re sure that you do frequently), you probably assume that restumping is the only service that we offer, and that Melbourne is the only area in which we offer it. Wrong! Restumping is just the tip of the iceberg for the team here, and we service all sorts of areas around Melbourne. If you’ve checked out our site recently, you know that we offer underpinning, restumping, reblocking and more. The *more* is what we want to focus on today, specifically around the almighty deck or veranda. This is an area of your home that we want to shine a light on, and this blog is an area of our site that we want to profile just as well. When a company does a blog well, it just gives visitors more and more incentives to return and join our community. That’s really the biggest goal of the company. We see our customers as friends and want to impart as much of our wisdom as possible. Today, that means that we’re focusing on the best ways to use your deck as we stretch into the beauty of autumn in our region. Read on for more:

First things first, how do you maintain? It becomes just as crucial during the colder and wetter months as it does when it makes sense to be outside. Your first thought may be to install a roof over your deck or veranda. Don’t fret, this doesn’t need to be a permanent solution. There are all sorts of retractable covers available, both locally and on the World Wide Web. These are a great way to ensure that you can take advantage of the outdoor space that you’ve put so much effort into, no matter what Mother Nature has in store. Feeling sceptical? We get it. You can learn more information about the pros and the cons here.

Piggybacking on that, there are so many beautiful elements to the autumn. The leaves turn colours, the air feels crisp, and you have so many different activities to look forward to. You can easily look forward to them from the comfort of your deck or veranda. The way that you build and design it, you can easily incorporate entertainment and hosting elements so that you can either lead the party or kick back with those that are closest to you. Here are some great ways to throw autumn parties outdoors.

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the best ways to take care of your deck or veranda when it really starts to get cold and wet. We’re sure that you took great care of it during the summer, sweeping and shining as needed. When it starts to get wet, make sure that your deck has a primer and sealant on it, so that it’s not susceptible to mould or rot. You can learn more about this, here.

Questions? Let us know. We’re excited to hear from you!

We know, we know, we’re already there. We’re throwing away the cardigans, and stockpiling all of the heated beverages. We’re breaking out the ice-creams and lollies, we’re stocking up on ice and we’re planning adventures that only make sense during the warmest months of the year. Yes, it’s summer. And while a lot of elements of this help put a smile on your face, there are also important reminders to keep in mind.

Luckily for you, you’re way ahead of the game. You have made the expert decision to stop by the Restumping Melbourne site, and for that – we thank you. We know that you have dozens of options in the immediate area and beyond, but yet, you made the very smart decision to choose Restumping Melbourne. (PS: you made the right decision!) We’re experts in restumping, reblocking and underpinning, all amazing solutions to reinforce the foundation of your home and keep you happy and comfortable. Not just you, but generations to come of your family and friends, who will no doubt, make all of the best memories in your humble abode.

That’s why we started this blog. We knew that we had a wealth of knowledge, and we knew that our community needed it as resources to make the right decisions for you and your home. That mean that the info doesn’t stop at best practices for reinforcing and caring for your foundations – it also means that we’re here to share the fun, engaging and informative articles across the Web, that would be of interest to you!

Today, it’s all about preparing for summer. Here are three of our favourite tips:

Prepare

Sounds basic and vague, right? In this instance, we’re specifically talking about the necessities that you’ll need inside the home to care for you, your house and your loved ones – be it food, tools, toiletries and more. Sometimes, it just takes too much effort to leave any areas that are properly conditioned or cooled, and why should you have to, if you’ve planned ahead?

Get ready for celebrations

We all get very excited when the temperatures rise and the sun is out to play. It’s the perfect backdrop to all number of parties and celebrations. You can stay out later, not worry about heavy winter coats, and bonus – it tends to be beautiful around here. Make sure that you have everything ready, should you decide to send out the mass invite, turn up the volume and set out the drinks and snacks.

Take care of necessary maintenance

We know that it’s not the most fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important to ensure that you don’t have to spend the most beautiful of summer days, taking care of your home. Here are some quick and easy reminders to have on-hand before the temperatures rise too much: air conditioning, lawn equipment, outdoor entertaining areas and hot water tanks. Doesn’t sound too bad now, does it?

Questions? Comments? Let the team at Restumping Melbourne know! We’re looking forward to a great season ahead.