Tips for property owners to combat the cold snap

After a balmy Indian summer, households across the country are bracing themselves for a tough winter and the Irish Brokers Association are advising home and business owners to take pre-emptive action to ensure their properties are protected adequately from the ravages of what looks to be a harsh winter.

According to some recent reports Ireland is set for its coldest winter in years. While meteorologist predict the coldest spells are likely in December and January, weather reports from this week alone are hinting at the beginning of the havoc caused by Irish winters with flood warnings already issued for parts of the country.

Advising property owners, Brian McNelis of the Irish Brokers Association said: “Unfortunately the last few years have left home and business owners reeling in the wake of extreme weather conditions with flood claims in particular increasing by over 80% in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the previous year - homeowners and insurance companies have had to fork out anything from €45M to €50M for reparations during last winter.
“While much of the damage done on these properties may have been unavoidable, some claims might possibly have been avoided or even lessened if people were aware of the necessary steps to take to protect their property”.

Floods

As a general rule of thumb the Irish Brokers Association have outlined the following steps for any homeowners potentially exposed to flooding:

-  Ensure your external walls and windows are adequately water resistant – there are various products and sealants and varnishes available to do this

-  If there are immediate floods warnings for your areas then it might be worth using sandbags and wrapping to protect your property

-  If you live in a flood risk area during more risky periods it might be a good idea to keep personal and expensive items as high above ground level as possible

Freezing temperatures

In relation to a cold snap, Mr McNelis stated:  “Homeowners should act now to safeguard against the damage that can be caused by freezing pipes. The risk of expensive, disruptive and upsetting damage can be minimized by households taking a few simple steps to protect their homes.

Our advice would be to make sure that water pipes and water tanks in the attic are insulated with good quality lagging, find out where the stopcock that turns off the water is located and make sure it works. If a pipe does burst turn off the water at the stopcock, switch off central heating and any other water heating installations and open all taps to drain the system, and contact your insurance broker for help and advice on how to make a claim and have the necessary repairs carried out.'

Other tips from the Irish Brokers Association to protect homes during cold spells include:

-  Check the exterior walls of your home for holes: Even small holes where cable wires or phone lines enter your home can be an entry point for freezing air. Purchase a tube of foam insulation, and close them up. Then, use weather stripping to remedy any cracks around your doors.

-  Keep your gutters clean: Full gutters increase your chance of having ice form on your roof, and that’s not something you want to mess with! Set aside some time to clean your gutters out before the freezing temperatures get here.

-  If you are going to be away from home for any period over the winter months make sure to advise family/neighbours/friends to check your house during severe weather periods.

-  Contact your local insurance broker for help and advice.