HOME ADVICE
You don’t need to be a weatherman (or woman) to know that it’s getting colder. And you don’t need to be a weather expert to know Britain’s winters are amongst the most unpredictable in the world. So homeowners need to be ready for anything – rain, cold, ice, snow – that could affect their property. Winter will show up faults in your house – and ignoring them will not make them go away. A stitch in time saves nine – preventative action will save a big bill later on.
Don’t be penny-wise, pound foolish, either, because a cheap or botched repair might work for a time but will come back with a vengeance and much more expense later on. Unless you are completely confident in your abilities, hire an expert.
Start with central heating. It’s easy to bleed the radiators – but if you have to do it often, you may have problems. Check the timer and thermostat, and look for system leaks. If anything is wrong, get someone in now – otherwise you’ll be number fifty on the heating engineer list.
Then look at the hot water system. Do the taps drip? Look under sinks and basins to see if the waste system has leaks. At the same time, replace lagging that looks past it.
Broken windows won’t just let in cold. They will also allow damp and wet to spread. And take a look at draught excluders – they are very cheap and easy to replace but they will save pounds on heating bills and make your home much more pleasant.
Next move outside. You may need binoculars to examine the roof – perhaps standing in a neighbour’s garden. Missing or broken tiles are danger signs. A flat roof – used for many loft extensions – has a limited life although recent technology means they now last longer. But assume a maximum 10 to 15 years before getting someone in to inspect it.
Guttering is an obvious potential problem area. If it’s full of leaves now, it will be even worse next month – trimming back trees can help.
If you ignore the problem, rainwater will spill over – damaging brickwork and causing costly bills. Anything that’s broken will only get worse. And falling gutters or pipes will cause more damage – and can be dangerous.
Leaves can also block soakaways – getting rid of them may make you dirty but that’s better than a flood.