Give your home a winter health check
ACT NOW TO CUT RISK OF COSTLY WEATHER DAMAGE, ADVISES TRICIA PHILLIPS
AFTER the glorious hot and dry summer we’ve enjoyed, it’s hard to imagine that cold, freezing and stormy weather will be our new normal. But we all need to be prepared for it soon.
It’s important you ensure your home is up to scratch and as secure as you can make it to get through the dark, winter months.
Winter weather can cause havoc and cost a small fortune. Figures from the Association of British Insurers show the storms in February this year, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, cost insurers a hefty £473m as they were hit with 169,500 property damage claims, at an average £2,790.
While insurance can help ease the financial pain, the devastation to lives is not so easy to bear.
“Thinking about dark winter nights and potential bad weather might be the last thing on people’s minds at the moment,” says Matt Bartle, director of mortgages at Leeds Building Society.
“However, spending some time now giving your property a prewinter health check can really save you money in the long run.
“While the weather is still good, homeowners can do some very simple checks to make sure their property is protected during the winter months, as well as ensuring that if the worst does happen, they are fully prepared and have all the relevant documentation to hand.”
It’s not just protecting against winter damage that’s important, with escalating energy prices, it’s also about ensuring your home is as energy efficient as possible.
Keeping your home warm and dry is essential for the welfare of your property too.
Matt adds: “With rising energy bills and a cost-of-living crisis, making your house as energy efficient as possible really does make sense.
“Up to a quarter of heating costs are lost if your house is badly insulated, so making sure your house is well-maintained and insulated is a wise move.
“There are lots of things you can do – some are relatively cheap, other things are more expensive.
“But the same message remains. Your home is probably the most valuable asset you have, so you need to look after it.”
While we cannot totally protect our property against the elements, there are simple things you can do to help reduce the risk of damage and prevent avoidable mishaps.
Then you’ll be in the best shape to weather whatever winter throws at it.
Check your roof
Ensure roof tiles or slates are all OK and haven’t become loose throughout the year. Using binoculars to check the condition of your roof is a good tip and saves you having the hassle of using a ladder.
If your home is overlooked by other properties, and you get on with your neighbours, ask them to keep an eye on the condition of your roof and let you know if they spot any loose tiles or broken pointing.
Clear drains and gutters
As the weather turns, it’s important that you clear your gutters of fallen leaves and moss.
Blocked fall pipes and gutters will mean gutters will overflow and could leak into your roof space or down the sides of your house.
And blocked gutters during icy weather can lead to increased weight that might bring them down.
Service your boiler
We all know the cost of energy is soaring, so it’s more important than ever that your boiler works efficiently.
Hot water and heating comprise more than half of a household’s annual spend on energy bills so having an efficient boiler will help you save money in the long run.
If you haven’t already done so, arrange a boiler service. This will not only prevent problems during bad weather, but it will also help to keep your bills more manageable.
Always use a qualified gas engineer who is on the Gas Safe Register – gassaferegister.co.uk
Bleed your radiators
While your boiler is being serviced, it’s also worth bleeding your radiators. Over time, air bubbles gather in radiators which prevents them from filling up with water – making them very inefficient, which ultimately costs you money. After a few months of inactivity, you may find that when you switch your heating on radiators are cold at the top and hot at the bottom. This is a tell-tale sign that your radiators need bleeding. It’s very easy to do and simply involves using a radiator key to release the trapped air.
Locate your stopcock
It’s very important you know where the stopcock is in your home as it enables you to turn the cold-water system off in cases such as burst pipes.
Usually located under your kitchen sink, the stopcock looks like a tap or a lever. Once you have found it, make sure it works and isn’t rusted up or broken.
Many properties also have water meters and sometimes these are in the pavement outside your house.
Again, test that your water can be turned off from here – if it can’t then let your water provider know.
Check the lagging on pipes
Cold weather can cause water in pipes to freeze and expand, which can then break those pipes.
Pipes and tanks in loft spaces, garages, outside or anywhere in your home that could be liable to freezing should be fully lagged to protect them.
Lagging with a 25mm wall thickness is ideal, but it needs to be no lower than a 13mm thickness.
Also, lagging helps to keep water in pipes warmer, so less energy is needed to heat water, meaning less energy, which could help lower energy bills.
Repair dripping taps and leaks
Check for leaks from taps, toilets, sinks, baths and showers.
Not only do these waste precious water, the water could freeze in cold weather and cause burst pipes and other expensive damage.
Leave heating on low if you’re away
If you are going on holiday or visiting relatives during the colder months, leave your heating on for at least an hour a day.
If you’re expecting severe weather when you are away, try to keep it at your usual temperature day and night to minimise the risk of freezing pipes.
They could lead to burst pipes, flooding and even subsidence, as excess water in the soil around your home from leaks can cause it to wash away and sink.
Cut back problem branches
It’s worth pruning your trees before winter kicks in.
This helps stop snow building up on trees and will also prevent overhanging branches damaging your property during bad weather.
And also check your garden fences to make sure they are all sturdy and in good condition.
Secure garden furniture
Make sure garden furniture is put away in your shed or securely fastened down.
This protects it from bad weather and thieves, and will also stop any untethered chairs becoming mis
siles during windy periods, which might cause damage to your property as well as potentially injuring you or your family.
Stock up on winter essentials
Bad weather can strike when you least expect it so stock up on winter emergency essentials early.
Make sure you have candles, matches, a torch and batteries, pens and paper, grit for icy paths, snow shovels and blankets.
If you own a car, make sure you have de-icer, scrapers, a shovel and blankets in it in case you get stuck in wintry weather.
Check home insurance
It’s also important that you know where your home and contents insurance documents are should you need to make a claim. Double check your policy is still valid, as well as having telephone numbers of local plumbers, electricians, builders, and gas engineers to hand – you never know when you might need them.
Staying warm on a budget
As energy costs continue to soar, it’s crucial that you conserve as much heat as you possibly can in your home.
Things you can do very easily include turning off radiators in any rooms you do not use, or simply turning down the thermostats slightly on radiators.
You could also consider putting draught excluders along the bottom of your doors and think about installing secondary glazing film for your windows – these are available from most hardware shops and usually cost less than £10 per roll.
You could also consider insulating your loft as well as having cavity wall insulation installed.
Although these options are more expensive, they will save you money in the long-run.