Save Money and Weather-proof Your Home

Save Money and Weather-proof Your Home

Take simple precautions to save money - most definitely - oh so simple.

Any money saved will ease your general fuel bill and you will probably keep much warmer and also save unnecessary insurance claims. Remember, if you make a claim then your premium will almost certainly increase the following year.

Winter is the time when, like the squirrels, we retreat to the warmth and safety of our homes, but before doing so there are some essential checks that need to be carried out.

With home emergencies, prevention is certainly better than the cure, and many insurance claims could be avoided if householders spent a small amount of time preparing for any coming bad weather.

Some of these tips are quite elementary, but it is surprising how many sensible, intelligent folk don't think to take simple precautions. Quite easily done in the rush of life today.

Outside:

1. Check the condition of the roof. Look for cracked or broken tiles, cracks in the chimney or problems with the pointing. If any repairs are needed, hire a professional roofing contractor to carry out the work as soon as possible.

2. Clear the gutters and drain pipes of any leaves or debris that have built up in them to reduce the risk of blocks and overflows.

3. Cut back low hanging tree branches that could cause damage in high winds or storms.

4. Check boundary fences and posts, also brickwork that is showing signs of age.

5. Make sure you park your car either in a garage or away from large trees.

6. Cavity wall insulation is another method for retaining heat inside the home.

7. Secure all out-door items such as picnic tables, sheds, barbecues, bikes and other garden furniture which can prove hazardous during a storm.

8. If you live on a windy site, tie your dustbin lid to one of the side handles with a long piece of cord. This saves a hunt and search when the wind has subsided. If your dustbin is the old fashioned metal type, this also eliminates a crash and clatter during the night or whenever. This tip has nothing to do with warmth, but having been hit in the face by a flying dustbin lid during gale force winds, it saves potential injury.

9. Not exactly weather proofing - more a maintenance tip. remove clinging ivy from the brickwork where is can cause damage to soft mortar.

10. Remove moss from tiles if you possibly can. Moss traps moisture and can cause frost damage in winter.

Inside:

9. Have your boiler serviced once a year by a CORGI registered gas professional and have the central heating and gas fires checked to ensure they are working safely and efficiently.

10. If you have an oil fired system then a yearly check by an oil heating engineer is advised. In both these cases, ask around and see what you can learn as to the experience and capabilities of the people offering their services.

11. Check that the loft is insulated properly but also has adequate ventilation. In the UK there are Government grants available to certain sections of community www.Home-Energy-Savers.net
Around 15% could be shaved off your heating bill with 270 mm thick-loft insulation.

12. Double- glazing is an absolute boon. It keeps the heat in and the noise out. Even secondary double-glazing will make a difference. This type of double glazing is easy to take down during the summer and also makes cleaning easy.

13. If your double glazed window should take a 'hit' from a stone and starts collecting moisture between the glazing, do not despair. Hunt around locally for a company that deals with this sort of problem. Often it can be rectified if the problem is not too severe. www.steamywindows.net/ Operate over quite a large section of the country.

14. Thick curtains will help to keep more heat in the home. An interlining will be an advantage

15. Keep the central heating set to 10 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing.

16. Fit an internal seal to your letterbox. Do not use the metal flap type as this is soon knocked off if the paper-boy/girl has a huge bundle to push through. Fit the type that has two sturdy rows of bristles covering the gap.

17. Fit draft excluder to all opening windows. Don't neglect to check all your doors as well.

18. Often forgotten - if you have an outside door with a mortice type lock, leave the key in the keyhole, this will stop another draft. Don't use this tip if there is a panel of glass in the door - burglars could smash the window and use the key to enter!

19. Make sure you know how to turn off your electricity, water and gas supplies. You may need to turn these off during a storm. If you have already made one insurance claim for e.g. a video recorder or similar because of an electricity surge during a storm, your insurance company are unlikely to view a claim for a second machine in a favourable light. (excuse the pun)

20. Remember to keep a torch handy in case of a power cut. If you use candles don't leave children in charge of these.

21. If you can, throw a blanket over your freezer to help retain the cold temperature. This will make your food last longer. Leave it in place for an hour or so after the power break.

22. Remember a Sani-flow unit should not be flushed during a power cut.