As winter approaches, the cold, frosty mornings, harsh winds, rain, sleet, snow, you name it, will certainly take its toll on your property.
But it’s not just frozen pipes that can cause mayhem during the short days and cold nights. Take a look at these preventative steps to make sure your home is ready for the more adverse winter weather conditions, so you can enjoy warm evenings, cosied up at home. Additionally, these small steps could prevent unnecessary costs down the line.
Frozen pipes
Frozen pipes are one of the main causes of claims during the winter months. Keeping the heating ticking reduces the risk of frozen pipes and the damage that these can cause. In general, maintaining a minimum of 13 degrees Celsius will prevent pipes from freezing, however given how cold it can get, we’re sure you will want this higher.
In addition to maintaining a minimum temperature, you can also protect your pipes by checking whether there are dripping taps and fixing those. If you own the property you live in, consider insulating your pipework and water tanks. You can minimise the risk of freezing by putting lagging (material that provides heat insulation) around the outside pipes.
Gutters and drainpipes
Clear them regularly to try and reduce the risk of water ingress and pipes collapsing with water or icy conditions.
Keeping these in working order will also help reduce the chances of potential future damages and costly repairs to your home.
Draught proofing
When you fit draught proofing around your windows and doors, you help seal out any unwanted draughts that could cool your home down.
Research and buy removable draught proofing options that you can simply add to your window or door frames to help minimise the chilly winter air coming into your home.
Bleed your radiators
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of bleeding your radiators every once in a while, as this will release any trapped air. When air builds up in a radiator, it makes it less efficient, meaning you’ll need more energy to keep your home warm. Before getting to work on them, please ensure the radiators are turned off and cold to avoid hot water burns.
You can contact your local professional or do it yourself. If you choose to bleed your radiators yourself, remember to place a towel under or around the valve and against the wall to ensure you don’t end up with a mess sprayed across your floors and wall. This can happen when you open the valve and pressure is released, causing water to spray out. Once you think you’ve released all the air and have tightened the valve again, check to ensure that the pressure on your boiler hasn’t dropped.
Boiler servicing
Speaking of boilers, make sure you keep up with its maintenance schedule. It’s easy to ignore your boiler whilst it’s working, but having it serviced by a suitably qualified person will help keep it in good condition and reduce the chance of it breaking down in these critical winter months.
It’s good practice to have your boiler serviced every 12 months by a qualified gas engineer.
Insulate, insulate, insulate
Insulating your home will go a long way in keeping you warm throughout the colder months. This may not be appropriate for all types of homes, but may be worth looking into if you’re a homeowner and are keen to save some energy.
Read more about this here, in our guide to having a more energy-efficient property.
Keep your chimney clear
If your property has a chimney that’s still in use, and you’re allowed to use it, hire a chimney sweep to remove soot, birds nests and blockages before use. Also ensure that the chimney is in a good state of repair to avoid any fire hazards.
In this way, you keep your property safe and can help prevent any potential fires.
Fences and gates
Secure any fences and gates that might have blown over. A lot of insurance providers don’t cover for fences and gates due to storms, so it’s worth checking your policy. Looking after them well and checking them every so often will help keep them in place for years to come.
Taking a few simple steps could save you a lot of upheaval at a later date, so help your future self out now. You’ll be thankful in the long run.
Last, but certainly not least, check your insurance cover and make sure it’s up-to-date and provides you with the cover you and your property need. As part of the UK’s leading estate agency and property services group, we can offer you access to Home Insurance that includes a range of cover options which are underwritten by Ageas Insurance Limited. To obtain a quote, contact our services team.
