Spring

03 March 2016 6931 Views

After battening down the hatches you have finally seen out the winter months. You have survived all that Mother Nature can throw at you, the wind, the rain, the snow etc….

It is time to come out of hibernation and enjoy the spring.

“BUT”- Has your property survived the ravages of winter equally unscathed?

Elements of your property may now need a bit of TLC.

Roof - are all your tiles/slates still in place?

Gutters - are they still in place or hanging loose?

The weather is improving so it’s time to make good any problems caused over the winter months.

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In all seriousness, now is the time to make checks of the external fabric of your property to ensure it has survived the winter and remains fully weather tight.

It is cheaper and more cost effective to repair a roof on a regular basis rather than neglect it over the years and find that you will need to completely strip and re-roof your property at some considerable expense. Not to mention the disruption this will cause.

Now is the time to instruct a qualified roofing tradesman to make a detailed inspection of your roof coverings and provide estimates for replacing any slipped, broken or missing tiles/slates. A small expenditure in the short term will ensure the roof coverings are weather tight for the next twelve months and prevent the more serious outlay of having to re-roof the property in the future.

Similar comments apply to rainwater fittings. Any loose gutters and downpipes should be re-fixed (at minimal expense) and any leaks should be sealed to prevent the possibility of damp penetration.

If rainwater fittings are allowed to leak over any period of time, you will run the risk of damp penetration and potentially other significant damp related defects e.g. dry rot.

In addition to the external fabric of the main property, you may wish to give consideration to ensuring your outbuildings have survived the winter months, particularly storage sheds that have bituminised felt roof coverings.

Felt roof coverings are often damaged by the ravages of the winter months but if maintained on a regular basis they can be repaired for minimal expenditure.

REMEMBER : It is always cheaper to repair rather than renew.