Winter is coming, are you ready?

Posted 29/10/2019

During the upcoming winter months, your property will be subject to strong winds, heavy rain and lower temperatures bringing snow and frost which can impact both homes and business premises.

To help you make sure that you are prepared for any severe weather, here are some top tips:

• Before any forecasted storms, check your property and outbuildings regularly for loose or missing roof tiles;
• Have any flat roofs, guttering and drains checked by a suitable contractor to help prevent any blockages before they cause back up of water;
• Check any large trees around your property for signs of weakness or branches overhanging your property that could come loose in a storm;
• If you have a chimney above a burning stove, the chimney should be routinely checked and swept by a professional sweep;
• Check for any exposed external pipework and ensure that it lagged to minimise the chance of the pipe bursting;
• Keep any valuable contents raised off the floor in any basements or areas of the property vulnerable to flooding;
• Clearly mark any stopcocks and valves and ensure that they are accessible in the event that the water supply needs to be stopped.

If your property is not going to be occupied for longer than a weekend during the winter months, you should have the water system drained or leave the heating on at a low setting and check regularly to avoid pipes freezing - this is often a requirement of the insurance policy covering the property.

Finally, check that you have a correct insurance policy in place for the property, providing adequate levels of cover and you have the details to hand should you need to make a claim.

If you would like to have a review of your current insurance policy, please contact Drayton on 01603 26 26 10.

Share Share