Property owners should take action now to protect their homes from the dangers the looming Winter poses, a leading expert has said.
Property care specialist George Edwards, from Timberwise, says there are FIVE key things all homeowners can do now..
Each step will help to reduce the chances of your home being flooded or impacted by condensation or mould.
George said: “There will be plenty of lists around the web looking at how you can prepare your home for winter, but the advice isn’t always great.
“However it is definitely worth taking the time to put together a few key actions you can take to properly protect your home against certain common property care problems.
“This means you take steps to alleviate the potential threat of damp, condensation, basement flooding, and other nasty property care issues that might be made worse through winter.”
“Damp in UK households not only increases energy bills by trapping moisture and making heating less efficient, it can also impact on our health,” says George.
“Black mould, a microscopic fungus that grows in damp places, can cause respiratory issues like coughing, wheezing and asthma with children, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions most at risk.
“And inhaling or touching the spores that the mould releases into the air can cause an allergic reaction, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and skin rashes.
“It can lead to costly repairs to property if damp and mould cause damage, which with the existing financial pressure on households is something I’m sure all of us will want to avoid.
“Damp is a problem that many people contend with each year and as the rain starts to fall more and more people are going to discover new, or reemerging damp, in their walls.
“That’s why I’d recommend taking action before the persistent cold and damp weather really hits.”
Here, George shares the five key things he’d recommend property owners do now.
- Check your pipes
A property’s pipes are often the reason that damp sets in, with leaks and cracks in the pipe itself allowing water to spill out and soak into your properties walls or floor.
Make sure that your property’s internal pipes are all sealed and connected nicely is a crucial step to reducing the chance of a leaky pipe causing damp, especially when the heating is turned on and water is actively moving through the property.
It’s also worth looking at any external pipes your property might have, to see if they might benefit from external insulation. External pipes are more prone to freezing, and if they were to freeze then it’s much more likely that these exterior pipes might burst, leading to a nasty case of penetrating damp.
- Guttering and drains
Guttering free from debris and cracks allows water to feed into your drains properly, which will go a long way to protect your property against penetrating damp.
You should also check that your drains are clear and not clogged otherwise the water will back up, creating pools of standing water that can damage your property, create unpleasant smells and could become a health hazard.
So, if your drains need rodding it may well be worth spending the half hour outside clearing them out, and by the same token cleaning out the gutters (or having some go up and do it for you).
Not doing so could lead to damp seeping into the walls above your damp proof course and acting like rising damp.
Either way, it’s a step worth taking.
- Ventilate your homes
Unlike damp, condensation is predominantly caused by people’s behaviours and lifestyle. As we spend more time in the home in winter, the air in our homes becomes more moisture-rich.
Condensation is when the warm, damp air makes contact with a cool service like a window and becomes a liquid.
With better ventilation, such as an extractor fan, window trickle vents or even just an open window, you can lessen the impact of condensation.
But it could be even simpler than that. Make a note of where there is the most condensation to see what steps you can take to reduce it. If there is a lot in the kitchen, then simple steps like putting lids on pots and pans or running an extractor fan when the oven is on can help.
- Check your skirting boards
If you have timber connected to a wall that displays signs of damp, then you may well be at risk of that timber developing dry rot.
Dry rot is serious wood decay caused by a fungus which eats the timber, causing it to become weak, brittle and structurally unsound.
And despite the name, dry rot loves damp and condensation. Damp, be it rising, penetrating, or condensation increases the risk of dry rot in any of the timbers in your property.
A good way to check if your timber might be at risk of developing dry or wet rot is to have a look round at your property’s walls and flooring and see if there are any noticeable signs of damp. If there are, then you may well find that dry rot or wet rot begin to appear sooner rather than later.
So, by having any suspected damp looked at or treated, you are going to significantly decrease the risk of the higher levels of rainfall posing a risk to your property’s timber.
- Give the basement a winter-clean
Never mind waiting for spring, before winter is the time you need to make sure your basement is clean and dry.
Keep an eye out for any signs of condensation or leaks, no matter how small they might appear. What might be the tiniest of trickles in summer can quickly turn to constant, slow leaks of nasty groundwater, fuelled by persistent rain and snowfall.
So, if you happen to notice any signs of water in the basement – even a trickle or a bead – then have your waterproofing system looked at.
If you do have a sump pump, make sure it’s working and ready to handle the inevitable UK deluge. This might be trickier to do yourself so it is worth investing in a trained engineer to take a look.
