Preparing your home for the colder months is crucial to keeping your house warm and ensuring that it is a safe place for your family. Here are 4 important things you need to do this upcoming season to avoid increases to your insurance policy due to winter-related damages.
- Keep your pipes warm
Bursting pipes happen frequently throughout the winter because of rapid freezing and thawing. This could potentially cause big damages. The best way to avoid this is to keep your pipes toasty—you can do this by using pipe insulation. This method is called lagging and it will reduce the heat lost and insulate the pipes to stop them from freezing.
- Get your boilers checked
If your boiler is poorly maintained, it wastes more energy and can become expensive. It also poses health risks because carbon monoxide can seep through. You can avoid this by getting your boiler serviced before the winter or upgrading your old model.
- Insulate, insulate, insulate
Did you know that about a quarter of the heat in your house is lost through the roof? Avoid this heat loss by having a good loft and cavity wall insulation to keep your house warm. This method will also use less energy and save you money in the long run.
- Guttering
The warm days are gone and the leaves have fallen. Gutters and drainpipes are getting filled with loose foliage, and once they become blocked, water will be backed up in the gutter. This can cause leakage into the roof and down the walls of the house. Make sure grime and dirt is cleaned out of your gutters to decrease the chances of water blockage.
Incorporate these four things into your home’s winter preparation plan – your house and family will thank you. Contact us today if you have any questions or to review what your home insurance policy covers!