Winter’s here, and it’s vital to make sure your home is ready for the battering it may take before next summer. A number of jobs are important, but here are two you may not have thought of.
Are You Rodding? Your Downpipes, That Is
It happens every Autumn. The falling leaves and twigs get blown about and end up in your gutters and downpipes, stopping the rainwater flowing away as it’s meant to. If the debris isn’t cleared, you could end up with an overflowing pipe and flooding, and it could even damage the structure of your house.
You need to get your downpipes rodded.
This isn’t just because it’s a hassle to repair the damage, though. It’s actually a condition of many insurance policies that you have your gutters cleared and your downpipes rodded at least once a year, and your insurance claim may be refused otherwise.
The catch is that you have to be able to prove to the insurance company’s loss adjuster that it’s been done. If you’re doing it yourself, take pictures of yourself rodding — though be sure you stay safe if you’re taking selfies up on a ladder.
If you’re hiring a roofer, a receipt is essential. All too often, clients tell me they’ve had their pipes rodded, but they paid cash in hand with nothing written down. It may be tempting to save money that way, but it could end up costing you far more if you have to make an insurance claim.
Look After Your Roof
The guttering and downpipes need annual attention, at a minimum, but that’s not the limit to the attention your roof requires. A leaking roof can do untold damage to your home and, again, the loss adjuster is likely to refuse your claim if you can’t demonstrate that you’ve looked after your roof.
If you have a flat roof, in particular, there’s likely to be a clause in your insurance policy that you must have it maintained every ten years. Whatever type of roof you have, though, it’s vital to keep it in good condition and hang onto the proof. Otherwise, you may end up having to pay for the total cost of repairing your flooded home.
Remember to Have Your Chimneys Swept Before Winter Sets In
How long is it since you last cleaned your chimneys?
As winter draws in, there’s nothing like a roaring fire in the grate to make you warm and cosy in your home. It comes with a price, though, and that includes have the chimney swept on a regular basis. A blocked or dirty chimney can cause serious damage — perhaps even a fire that destroys your home.
This is because any soot left in the flue can ignite when it heats up, not to mention other debris, such as birds’ nests or spider webs, that might have found its way into the chimney. At best, that could damage your flue, and at worst it could burn your house down — and, if you try to make an insurance claim when you’ve neglected your chimney, the loss adjuster could turn you down.
A blocked flue can also release deadly carbon monoxide into your home, from the gases coming back down the chimney.
How Often Should a Chimney Be Swept?
The fuel used in the fireplace dictates how often your chimney needs to be swept. A coal-fire chimney should be swept at least twice a year and a wood-fire chimney quarterly when the fireplace is in use. If you’re using smokeless, gas or oil fuels, you’re usually safe keeping it to once a year — but remember that all gas-related work should be done by a Gas Safe engineer. Always be safe with your gas appliances.
A few basic safeguards will help you enjoy your fire securely and make certain that, if you do suffer a fire, the loss adjuster will have no reason to refuse your claim:
- Have your chimney swept before you start using the fireplace.
- Keep the grate clean, making sure it’s free from ash and soot.
- Avoid using damp wood, as cooler smoke creates more ash.
- Using a fireguard in front of an open fire can prevent sparks flying out from the embers.
- Don’t leave a fire burning unattended — extinguish it before you leave the house or go to bed.
- If you’re using wood, don’t leave your supply too close to the fire, as it could ignite.
- And — invest in a carbon monoxide alarm. Your life and your family’s lives might depend on it.
Chimney sweeps used to be considered very lucky. Maybe that’s because people back then realised that their job could save lives.
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