With winter well underway, it is time to take some precaution for your park home this winter. The cold weather has its own unique challenges when it comes to properties so preparation is key to reduce the damage to your property.
Residential Park Homes are very energy efficient however, being a detached property, each side of your home is exposed to the elements which means you need to maintain warmth during the winter months. Here are PHHPA’s tips to weatherproof your park home for winter.
Stop Draughts
Insulate your park home to stop the cold air from coming in. Seal any gaps around your windows or doors to prevent draughts, edges are the biggest culprits for letting in cool air. Check other areas of the home to ensure you are all comfy and warm. But also remember to maintain good ventilation.
Get your boiler checked
Get your boiler checked before the winter month closes in to make sure that your boiler is working and doesn’t break in the cold weather. A poorly maintained boiler could contribute to wasted energy in your home which accounts for wasted money too.We all know the month of December is painful for the bank account, let’s not add another thing onto the list of expenses. A boiler that is not working correctly could start leaking carbon monoxide which is also very dangerous. Protect your home with this simple precaution.
Keep your pipes warm
Burst pipes are very common for winter months as the water in the pipes freezes and then thaws out causing them to crack or break. The best way to prevent this from happening is to insulate your pipes and keep them warm. This will prevent them from freezing and will reduce the amount of heat that will get lost through having a broken one.
One way in which you can do this is by lagging them. That just simply means insulating them. This can easily be done by adding a foam tube to keep it warm. We need jackets and our pipes need foam tubes.
Trim your trees
By trimming your trees it will reduce the amount of leaves which will be falling into your guttering. It will also reduce the damage to the exterior of the park home by falling/banging branches. This also protects you during the times when the weather gets a little too extreme and unpleasant. Imagine waking up one day to a massive branch through your roof. These things are more common than you think. So it’s best to always be prepared.
Check the guttering and drains
The unpredictable weather can cause items to fall into your gutters or drains. Remember in the episode of ‘Undercover Big Boss’ where Alfie had his hands down the drain pricking up all sorts of rubbish, well this can happen from natural causes too. Not Alfie with his hands down your drain but a blocked gutter/drain from leaf and other debris.
Make sure that there is nothing blocking the gutters or drains as water will not be able to flow properly. If the gutters are full then it could cause the water to overflow. Causing water damage. By keeping on top of these tasks you would be prepared for unwanted and unexpected weather but also it prevents future problems. Most importantly, save some of your pennies for a delicious hot chocolate or more gifts for your stockings.
Check vents and skirting
Keeping vents and skirting clear and unobstructed will allow the air to flow freely and ventilate your park home. The ventilation will help with the build up of condensation and reduce the risk of damp and mould problems. The skirting should also be checked to ensure it is firmly secured to reduce the draughts that the park home could have.
All of these aspects will help you prepare your park home for the winter months and cold season. We may not be able to avoid it (unless you’ve got a warm holiday planned) but we can help ourseleves and avoid a headache. Follow these tips and you should be nice, cosy and warm for winter as well as stress free.
