It’s been a harsh winter here in the UK, we saw temperatures drop as low as -10c in some places over the last few months. The Beast From The East totally covered our country with snow, frost, and everything cold. In our region, central areas of Devon were those that got hit the hardest, even receiving red snow warnings.
The snow, wind, and rain have played havoc with our homes. Now, however, it’s spring and it’s time to get things sorted!
Here are our 10 Things to Check after Winter around your Home
10 – Broken roof Tiles
With snow, ice, wind and rain it will be likely that your roofing may have been damaged. Check externally if you can see any tiles loose or missing.
If you do find a problem, give CPM a call CPM Roof Builders
9 – Damaged Gutters
Again with all the recent weather, your guttering may have become broken. Especially so if you were one of the homes that got hit with the red-warning worth amount of snow.
We advise checking for broken clips, bowing, and pieces missing.
If you do find a problem, give CPM a call CPM Guttering
8 – Insulation
Winter was colder this again this year – did you feel the cold inside your home? It may be time to get some new insulation. With new insulation, you will not only keep your home warmer but reduce your household bills.
If you do find a problem, give CPM a call CPM Roof Builders
7 – Recent painting and decorating
If you have made any recent changes to your home, for instance, plastering, painting, or simply filling holes in walls, you may need to check for cracking. Temperature difference will cause wet building works to expand and contract away from the drier materials.
If you need any advice, please call CPM Painters & Decorators
6 – Water Pipes
During winter any exposed water pipes can freeze and create weaknesses in the pipework.
Before winter: we advise to turn off all external taps and drain them.
After winter: we suggest looking for leaks as they can cause damage and increase your water bill. If you cannot see any leaks but still want to check for one, make sure all taps and heaters are off (No water flow). Check your water meter, note the reading. Wait ten minutes (with all taps and heaters etc off), take note of the reading again, if it has changed, call a plumber.
5 – Salt damage
If you are close to a road, we would advise giving your house, car, and any metal fencing a quick wash down to get rid of any road grit salt that may have built up. Leaving the salt will cause corrosion to metalwork and plastics, which will be much more costly in the long-run compared to a quick hose down.
If you need any help, give CPM Property Maintenance a call.
4 – Household bills
If your household bills are high during the winter period, it may be time to get your home smart. There are now ways to monitor and control your household energy consumption through Smart meters (Available from your energy supplier). They give you an accurate read of power and gas consumption and when you use the most of them.
To take it a step further we suggest adding some additional smart controls such as Hive heating and lighting controls, Nest lighting and heating controls, Philips Hue lighting, and smart power plugs. With these types of devices, you can not only measure your consumption, you can drastically reduce it by with automatic switching, low consumption modes, and more.
If you need us to install any of these, please feel free to give us a call – CPM Plumbing Service
3 – Windows
Condensation on your windows over the winter period? This is a sign that your windows are not insulated and that the heat inside is seeping through your windows. You can rectify this with double/triple glazed windows.
2 – Damp
Noticing any damp or mouldy areas on walls, we advise using a dehumidifier initially. Making sure all doors and windows are shut. After the damp has visually receeded, clean the walls with a mild bleach solution to remove the mould. For safety use a face mask, mould spores can cause breathing problems especially with asthmatics.
If an area remains visually wet after, we advise getting it checked out. You could have a leak – Please feel free to give us a call – CPM Builders
1 – Heating Make sure the house is warm!
Yes, its basic. But if your house is cold, you will be cold. The ideal home temperature in winter is 18°C to 22°C. At this temperature, with the correct insulation, you will avoid damp, condensation and more.
If you need us to check your heating, please feel free to give us a call – CPM Plumbing Service
Complete Project Management (CPM) has a team of specialists working across Devon. We are more than happy to visit your property and see what sort of work is needed. Our specialists will provide a free quotation and expert advice.
So, is there anything you don’t do? No. We do it all.
Guttering
Cosmetic repairs
Plastering
Decking & Patios
Painting & Decorating
Roofing
View our full range of services
If you require our services for any projects, then contact our helpful office manager Donna on 01392 925 045, who will be able to book a convenient date and time for your quotation.