Prepare your home for the great British Winter!

by | Oct 10, 2008 | Clients in the Media

Coconut Creatives have many different types of clients with different specialisms. Spettro are one such client that can offer some advice back to us, which is useful to everyone who owns their own home:

Spettro are specialists when it comes to repairing homes and commercial properties when the weather does its worst but take their advice this Autumn and you’ll save yourself some cash this Winter.

Tony Smith, one of the directors at Spettro, has nearly 40 years experience of fixing damage to homes caused by our great British weather. “Take action this weekend and you could save yourself a lot of hassle and money just by checking through the list below,” he explains.

1. Ensure that all gutters and downpipes are cleared, are free of leaves and debris and that there are no blockages in any downpipes or hopper heads where rainwater discharges into.
2. Check that your drains and gulleys are free-flowing and remove any vegetation or blockages to assist with the flow of water.
3. Ensure that flat roofs are in good condition and that any tears, rips or other repairs are undertaken in order to prevent rainwater seaping through into the property.
4. Ensure that any missing or broken roof tiles or slates are replaced and that courses are aligned to prevent rainwater ingressing through into the loft space.
5. Ensure that all pipework is adequately lagged and protected to prevent freezing in exposed areas such as loft spaces or outbuildings.
6. Ensure that all water tanks in the loft are adequately lagged and immersion heaters have sufficiently thick insulation jackets fitted.
7. Ensure that your gas boiler has been serviced by a Corgi Registered heating engineer before winter commences.
8. Ensure that your loft space is insulated to the recommended thickness (which is a minimum of 300mm) whilst ensuring that the fiberglass quilting insulation does not block the airflow to the roof eaves. Check that no insulation is placed directly under the cold water storage tank, as this requires a certain amount of warm air to prevent freezing.
9. Check radiators to ensure they are bled of any air blockages and that they are working at maximum capacity and any thermostatic valves fitted can be turned easily.
10. If you are going away during the winter months, turn your thermostat down and leave your central heating system on so that if we get a bit of snow then your pipes won’t burst!

Remember, if your home or business does get damaged by extreme weather conditions then you can leave it to Spettro to get the repairs done by their trusted tradesmen. Spettro Limited is regulated by the Financial Services Authority which allows them to loss assess and mediate with all the major insurance companies, a service which is free of charge to the insured! Visit www.spettro.net for more information or keep the freephone number handy 0800 389 2251.