Even with all the holiday cheer packed in the cold months, the winter blues can easily creep up on you. Don’t let the cold keep you down. Doing some interior work in your home is a great way to ward off cabin fever during those brutal winter months.
Seasonal Spruce Up
Not everyone is sold on the idea that winter is a great time to start renovating your home. Aside from taking down your Christmas decorations, there’s not much you can do on the outside of your home.
But, when it comes to interior work, winter has a surprising amount of DIY appeal. You can get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time since there are no outdoor activities, sunny vacations, and other warm-weather distractions that can slow you down.
Safety Features
According to the president of ESFI (Electrical Safety Foundation International), home electrical accidents and fires increase during the winter months. Inspecting and evaluating your home’s safety features is the best way to kick off the winter.
You can start by checking the expiration date on your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. You should replace your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every 5 to 7 years and test them every month.
This is also a good time to carry out some home electrical checks. You can visually inspect cords for splits and cracks. You can also make sure that there are no cords pinched in the windows and doors. You should also avoid plugging in too many devices into a single outlet.
Consider replacing all the incandescent lights in your home with much safer LED lights. Not only are they more energy-efficient, but they are also a great way to combat the general lack of sunlight during the darker months.
You can improve your illumination as well as your spirits by swapping dim, old lights for bright, cheery ones.
As for other electrical checks, such as voltage testing or breaker panel inspection, it may be best to hire an electrician or a home safety inspector.
Painting
Traditionally, we do interior painting projects during summer and spring. But why? As long as you take the proper precautions, you can paint your interior walls all year-round. And there are even some benefits to changing your wall colors in winter.
High humidity levels can make paint jobs a pain in the neck, especially if you are not a professional. If you’re doing a paint job in the spring or summer, adhesion and staining problems are more likely to occur due to the excessive amount of moisture in the air.
The humidity in the air is low during winter. We don’t like winter air because it keeps our skin and nose dry. But the same dry air makes it easier to apply a fresh coat of paint on your interior walls. The paint dries more quickly, and the consistent temperatures make painting projects easier to schedule and finish.
Compared to other seasons, the demand for professional painting services is very low during winter. If you want to hire a painter, you can get quite a favorable quote. If you prefer to go the DIY route, there’s a chance you’ll find great deals on paints at your local hardware store.
Just be sure to buy low-VOC or zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints. Paints with zero- or low-VOC levels are a much safer choice because they release less pollution into the environment.
Replacing the Kitchen Countertop
You can greatly improve your kitchen’s appearance by replacing the kitchen countertops. It’s an ideal cold-weather upgrade because the job doesn’t require many back and forth trips outside.
Contractor prices usually drop in the slow winter season, so you are more likely to snag a good deal.
Terrazzo has been used for flooring for over 10,000 years, but it’s also a beautiful composite countertop material due to its durability and Venetian elegance.
Epoxy terrazzo countertops are a great choice thanks to the wide range of innovative patterns that are available and the heat-resistant properties of the material. Since there is a wide variety of different terrazzo chippings, from marble and opal to glass and mirror chippings, your only limit is your imagination.
Terrazzo is usually more expensive than granite and marble. But, unlike other types of countertops, a terrazzo countertop doesn’t chip away over its lifespan. And if you are not that keen on replacing your countertop, you can still use decorative stone or glass chippings to beautify your kitchen.
Upgrading the Shower Backsplash
You can completely transform your bathroom by upgrading your shower walls. If you want a quick and easy DIY solution, you can get prefabricated acrylic shower wall panels. They are completely waterproof, take less than a day to install, and require minimal maintenance. They also come in a wide range of decors.
If you want to go for a more luxurious look, natural stone tile is the best way to go. But if you want to balance style and practicality, porcelain or ceramic tiles are a better option.
The best thing about porcelain and ceramic tiles is the wide variety of patterns available. You can even combine tiles of different colors and styles to create your own unique design.
Update Interior Hardware
If a new shower wall or kitchen counter is a bit too much for you, you can keep yourself busy this winter with smaller upgrades. Door handles, faucets, and knobs can dramatically change the feel of your home, and they are all easy to replace.
Something as simple as replacing the bathroom faucet and showerhead can have a big impact. For instance, a new faucet can help conserve water as well as refresh the space, and it takes just one afternoon to install it.
You don’t need any tools to install a new high-pressure showerhead, and it can make your morning showers much more rejuvenating.
By replacing outdated drawer knobs and pulls on your kitchen cabinets, you can significantly dial up the style in your kitchen. It’s a simple and affordable DIY project – you can even complete it in your pajamas.
What have you planned to do around your house to keep yourself busy this winter season? Have you been contemplating any upgrades or DIY projects? Please share with the community!
