Look out for winter weather damage
Tuesday, 20 December 2011 12:53 PM
Property experts are warning home owners to beware of the effect of treacherous winter weather over the Christmas break.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says anyone planning to spend the holidays away from home should be careful to protect their property. For example, turning off the water at the mains can help prevent frozen pipes from bursting.
It warns that the impact of extreme weather may not be revealed until the snow or ice has melted and recommends a 360-degree inspection of the property, thinking about the roof, walls, floors, windows and doors to prepare for more freezing weather.
But Keith Denholm, RICS Scotland Residential Property Professional Group chair, said it was not just the exterior of the building that could be damaged.
He explained: "Letting a property breathe warm air out is just as important as stopping cold air from coming in.
"Today's lifestyle of showers, washing up, periodic short bouts of heating throughout the day and lack of ventilation can lead to a build-up of what amounts daily to litres of water, which forms condensation and damp on windows, walls, floors and ceilings.
"This problem can be reduced by simply opening the windows every now and then."
RICS checklist:
Roof
- Inspect the roof and replace any cracked tiles.
- If chimney pots are in place but not in use, consider protecting them by fitting ventilated cowls.
- Inspect the flashings around chimney stacks and at abutments - replace defective ones and re-fix any that are loose.
Loft
- Check the insulation is in good condition and that there are no areas where insulation is missing.
- Avoid over insulating as it is important that the tanks and pipes in the loft do not freeze, so do not insulate below the tank and make sure the lid is on the cold-water tank.
Gutters/drains
- Clear away any leftover twigs/leaves and debris - take particular care that the gulleys are clear as overflowing gutters can drench walls and cause damage.
- Check for signs of leaking gutters and rainwater pipes.
Walls
- 33 per cent of heat lost in the home is through the walls - cavity wall insulation is a good option.
- Check the pointing – frost can play havoc with poorly maintained walls.
- Make sure water can run off the property; fill gaps to cement angle fillets at wall junctions.
Windows
- Check perimeters of all windows to make sure water flows away from glass and doesn't collect on the sill, or drain behind it.
- It is important to minimise drafts - if double-glazing is not in place (it cuts heat loss through windows by 50 percent), consider fitting cheaper options such as secondary glazing or put polythene across the window frames.
-Curtains can make a big difference to heat loss.
Doors
- Stop draughts through letterboxes by fitting a cover, and put a sealant around the door frames.
Floor boards
- If there are stripped floors in place, consider putting down rugs in the winter to reduce draughts up between the boards.
Heating systems
- Check your heating system is in order: service boilers, insulate hot water tanks, bleed radiators.
- Make sure that climbing plants, shrubs and bushes do not object boiler flues - if this is the case, the boiler should be inspected immediately by a specialist.
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