Protect your home from water damage
The recent floods in Cockermouth have highlighted to homeowners the damage water can cause and the need to protect the home from winter perils such as floods, storm damage and frozen pipes.
With another cold snap hitting many parts of the UK, Halifax Home Insurance recommends taking time to give the home a quick ‘winter MOT', as prevention is better than cure when it comes to water damage.
Water damage can be a major inconvenience in the home. A flood or a leaking water pipe can cause untold damage to property, including structural damage and electrical faults. The good news is that the risk of a burst or frozen pipe can be reduced with a few simple steps, and while homeowners can't prevent a flood, there are things that can be done to reduce the damage it causes.
Last year alone, Halifax Home Insurance handled over 21,000 claims for burst pipes, costing over £40 million to repair. The average cost to repair damage caused by a burst pipe is around £2,000, so it is worth ensuring the home is properly insured, taking steps to maintain pipes, and also knowing what to do to limit damage if a pipe bursts or your home is at risk of flood.
Senior claims manager for Halifax Home Insurance, Martyn Foulds says: "Most homeowners worry about risks like burglary and fire in the home, but actually water damage is one of the most common types of home insurance claim we see. An increased number of bathrooms in modern properties means greater scope for water leaks, while trends for wood and laminate flooring makes water damage costly to repair. We are also seeing an increase in incidents of flooding throughout the UK, so it's worth making sure you are adequately insured and also taking steps to limit the risk of a problem arising."
To prevent water leaks
Burst pipes are common in winter, when water freezes in the pipes, and expands, cracking the pipes and causing them to leak when they thaw. To avoid this, insulate the loft, all water pipes and also the sides of your water tank.
If leaving the home empty in the winter for any length of time, leave the central heating on low, to avoid the pipes freezing. Many boilers have a frost protection thermostat on them which turns on automatically if the temperature drops below a certain level. It's also worth asking a friend or trusted neighbour to check on the home now and again to ensure pipes haven't burst or frozen.
Make sure you know where your water mains stop tap is and ensure you can turn it off easily in an emergency.
If a pipe bursts
Turn off the mains water supply. This is often found under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters the property
Drain the water system down by running all the cold taps
Any dripping water can be caught in buckets. If the ceiling starts to bulge, drill a few small holes in it to let the water drain through
If water has been leaking for some time and the ceiling is bulging significantly, be very careful - it may not be safe to enter the room
Turn off the central heating and/or immersion heater, and turn on the hot taps to help drain the water system.
Contact your home insurer as soon as possible for further advice or to register a claim.
If your home is at risk of flooding
Place sandbags outside doors, airbricks and windows to reduce the amount of flood water entering your property
Turn off the mains supplies of water, gas and electricity
Unplug electrical items and store upstairs or as high as possible
Disconnect pipes to cookers, washing machines and dishwashers to avoid damage to the pipes if appliances move during floods
Move as much furniture as possible upstairs
Large items that cannot be moved upstairs should be weighed down with sandbags or heavy objects to ensure they don't float around and cause further damage to property during a severe flood
If furniture cannot be moved upstairs, empty contents of cupboards and drawers and store as high as possible
Move rugs and curtains upstairs, or hang them up over curtain rods out of the way of water.
Keep your home insurer's policy details and telephone number to hand in case you need to make a claim following a flood
Remember to move sentimental items such as photograph albums to a safe place as these cannot be replaced.
If your home has already been flooded
Ensure mains supplies of water, electricity and gas have been checked by a qualified engineer before reconnecting
Dry out appliances that have been affected by flood water and ensure a qualified electrician or Gas Safe registered engineer inspects them before use
Open doors and windows to ventilate and dry out the property. Ensure your home is completely dried out before attempting any redecorating work
Contact your insurer and report any damage caused to buildings and/or contents as soon as possible
Take photographs of damaged items as it may help your insurer to settle a claim
Keep any ruined property as insurers may want to inspect it.
If your home is at risk of storm damage
Secure any objects which could become hazardous such as garden furniture, barbecues and bicycles, and keep gates and outbuilding doors fastened securely.
Cut back low hanging branches that could cause damage in high winds or storms.
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.
Check external light fittings are secure.
Customers of Halifax Home Insurance can call its 24 hour emergency helpline on 0845 602 7307 for advice. For complete peace of mind, homeowners may also wish to consider further protection against common winter problems such as flood and storm damage, water leaks, utility failure or boiler breakdown. Halifax Home Insurance offers Home Emergency Cover, which for around £4 a month guarantees a qualified, reputable tradesman to carry out emergency repairs within hours. It also covers for sudden and unforeseen roofing problems such as tiles blowing off during bad weather, as well as plumbing problems such as blocked drains.
Martyn concluded: "With recent events in Cumbria highlighting the damage water can cause to homes, it is certainly worth carrying out a Home MOT to reduce the risk of water damage occurring. If you do have to make a claim for water damage, we have expert teams who can help get your home back on track."
For more tips and advice on maintaining the home, visit halifaxhomematters.co.uk