With weather warnings this week suggesting Europe will be plunged into temperatures well below freezing, home experts are warning Brits to ensure they are prepared as they reveal the top ten most common home emergencies caused by the severe winter weather.
According to data from UK home insurance providers, 47% of damage to British homes comes from storm or water damage. Advice from experts below warns British homeowners on how to prepare for the TOP 10 common home emergencies.
Data taken from Harvey Water Softener’s home emergencies calculator shows the average cost of repairing these emergencies this winter, with the data suggesting that, if unprepared, Brits could be spending as much as £24,910 fixing up their property. And, with recent data suggesting that more than 16 million people in the UK have less than £100 in savings, there is a significant risk that people could fall short when it comes to keeping their home in order.
The TOP 10 winter home emergencies and estimated costs according to the experts are as follows:
- Correcting serious damp: Average cost: £16,000
- Retiling entire roof: Average cost: £5,000
- Boiler breakdown: Average cost: £1,000
- Chimney flashing cost: Average cost: £800
- New guttering: Average cost: £560
- Chimney repointing: Average cost: £500
- Tree surgery: Average cost: £400
- Slipped roof tiles: Average cost: £300
- Loft insulation: Average cost: £300
- Plumber visit: Average cost: £50
The experts below have included advice on how to prepare for these.
Correcting serious damp
Average cost: £16,000
Dimitri Kara, spokesperson from home improvement provider, Fantastic Cleaners said that bad weather can cause serious damp problems, but Mother Nature isn’t always to blame:
“A chore as simple as regular gutter cleaning and maintenance can prevent a wide range of property damage and costs in repairs. Clogged drainage forces water to find alternatives. If left unattended, that will sooner or later lead to minor cracks growing big enough for water running outside gutters and down to penetrate and infiltrate the wall. This means that moisture and serious damp problems that will inevitably spread within the house.”
Retiling an entire roof
Average cost: £5,000
Roofing expert James Carfell of Collier Roofing and Guttering advises that extreme cold winters have terrible effects on the property, most notably the roof:
“Before it gets too cold, you should have a look at your pipes. Make sure there is no visible damage, if you do spot any then they need fixing as soon as possible. You also need to ensure you have plenty of pipe lagging fitted around the pipes for insulation. You should also have a look at your tiles, whether from the ground or up a ladder to see if there are any cracks or missing tiles so it doesn’t lead to a leaky roof, which will bring a whole new set of costs.”
Boiler breakdown
Average cost: £1,000
David Holmes, founder of Boiler Guide, provides some tips for homeowners to reduce the risk of their boiler going on the blink this winter:
“Get your boiler serviced every year by a Gas Safe engineer. A boiler is much like a car in that it needs to be maintained to keep it in good working condition, especially if you live in a hard water area meaning your boiler may suffer severe damage from limescale build-up. The annual boiler service is an engineer’s opportunity to check the boiler is working efficiently, effectively and safely.
“Insulate your pipes. To prevent frozen pipes you can wrap them in pipe insulation which you get from most DIY stores for very little money. If you’re concerned that your pipes are frozen, you can often thaw them by pouring warm water on them or with a hot water bottle.
“Carry out some occasional boiler maintenance. For example, check that the water pressure level is between 1 to 2 bars (and adjust it if it’s not) and that the pilot light is a strong blue flame (not yellow or orange). Your radiators will also need bleeding now and again to get rid of air pockets which build up over time and will stop your radiators from heating up fully.”
Chimney flashing
Average cost: £800
Sandro is the director of Property Maintenance company Trio Maintenance, and said:
“Slippery roof tiles and chimney flashing really pushes homeowners costs up, not so much because of the labour and material, but the set up costs on having to access the roof with towers or scaffolding, not to mention a reputable contractor which should have the appropriate insurances to work at heights, which will of course reflect on his quote.”
New guttering
Average cost: £560
James Carfell of Collier Roofing and Guttering warns:
“You should make sure to clear any blockages in the gutter. This is tenfold if you have a tree overtop which could be blowing leaves into the gutter. Blocked gutters and overflowing pipes can lead to significant water damage to the roof, so this should be sorted as soon as possible, especially during autumn when the leaves are coming down.
Tony Jones, General Manager at Harvey Water Softeners commented on the research:
“Bad storms and heavy rain can cause a lot of damage to our homes which can cost huge sums to fix. With this in mind, we recommend homeowners take some of the following precautions to keep any emergency costs down. Ensure you have your boiler regularly serviced, keep drains unblocked, and make use of other products and resources such as a water softener to prevent limescale buildup in pipes and appliances where possible.”
More information about the tool
The home emergencies calculator allows homeowners to submit their rainy day fund then it reveals which home emergencies users are prepared for, including the top 10 most common problems from storm and water damage, which is expected amongst the midst of this winter’s severe storms.
The data, taken from average prices of Amazon product listings and online tradesperson quotes, has been collated into the Home Emergencies Calculator, which can be viewed here: https://www.harveywatersofteners.co.uk/home-care/home-emergencies
