With winter finally upon us pro-action is better than reaction when it comes to winter house keeping.
In preparing a building for the winter, whether commercial or residential, the principles remain the same.
With leaves now fallen from the trees clearing out of the gutters and the cleaning down of flat roofs is essential to minimise the chances of blocked gutters and drains. It is also good practice to remove leaves from footpaths and drive ways as they can become slippery when wet or frozen.
With temperatures falling properties should be kept warm even if vacant to avoid issues such as frozen pipes. Thermostats on heating systems should be set at a temperature to avoid freezing and the insulating of pipes will also help avoid problems.
Graeme Harper of Goadsby Building Consultancy comments ‘if a property is vacant over the winter months the water and heating systems should be drained down to reduce the chances of frozen pipes. It is important to check with your building insurer what requirements they have for vacant properties to avoid invalidating your insurance policy.’
Having your boiler serviced can reduce the chances of having to make a costly emergency call to an engineer especially as their services are in high demand during cold snaps.
Goadsby Building Consultancy has a team of building surveyors who can advise on actions to undertake when preparing for winter.
