Tips on how to help protect your home during Storm Emma

Following a night of heavy snowfall for much of the east and south-east of the country AA Home Insurance is urging householders to take the necessary precautions to ensure your home is prepared for the worst of the conditions which are expected to arrive on Thursday morning and continue into Friday.

The AA has put together a checklist of some top tips to help get your home storm-ready.

1. Roof: Complete a visual check of your roof to ensure all tiles are safely secured. With chimney pots, make sure they are straight, free from cracks, the TV Ariel is firmly in place and not tilted at an angle. While snow has dominated the weather conditions to date, current expectations are that significant winds could hit the country from Thursday.
2. Gutters and pipes: Particularly if you have trees located within a close proximity to your home, check if leaf fall has clogged your gutters. Remember blocked drain pipes and silted gutters can cause water to enter the roof space with consequent damage to ceiling and walls. As a preventative measure it is worth paying your local DIY store a visit for gutter leaf guards.
3. Locate your stopcock: Anyone who has experienced a burst pipe might agree that “acting fast” is key which means leaving the process of scratching your head and commencing a search for your stopcock when a burst pipe strikes is far from ideal. So it is essential that all house occupants know where to find the stopcock in advance of the event, as it can determine the extent of damage suffered to your home. Most stopcocks can be found in your bathroom, under your kitchen sink or under the stairs If your hot water and bathroom taps are supplied from a roof tank, look in your airing cupboard or next to the tank in the roof for the shut off valves. Check the insulation of the pipes and tank in your roof – a really cold snap could cause the tank to freeze. It is also essential to get your central heating boiler serviced.
4. Electrics: Check plugs and sockets for cracks and damage and have them replaced if necessary. Familiarise yourself with your fuse box – make sure you have spare fuses to hand (if fitted) and you know how to switch off the mains supply if necessary.
5. Insurance: Make sure your home insurance cover is fit for purpose and any valuables or additional items are included in your policy (for example, if you have had a conservatory built, make sure you’ve increased your buildings and contents cover accordingly). The stage of submitting a claim is the wrong time to learn you’ve forgotten to renew your policy!

A final word on preparing your home for Storm Emma

It is worth investing in a first aid kit for your home. Knowing exactly where you can lay hands on a torch, a roll of insulation tape, spare fuses, a radiator bleeding key, spare batteries, WD-40, screwdriver, craft knife and plasters in a hurry could be vital.  Including some important telephone numbers in your kit, such as your insurance company helpline, fire brigade services and local police station also makes a good precautionary measure.