The summer sun is here and whilst you might spend less time in your home and more time outside, we wanted to share our top tips to keep your house cool and protected whilst it’s hot.
Keeping it cool
Here’s how you can stop your home from keeping in the heat when it’s too warm:
1. Open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage air flow throughout. If you have a multi-storey home open the windows upstairs so when the hot air rises it’s not trapped up there.
2. Close curtains or blinds during the day, particularly on sunny sides of the house, to prevent the sun from heating up your home.
3. Invest in an electric fan, which can be purchased fairly inexpensively. For an extra cool breeze place a bowl of ice in front of the fan whilst it’s switched on.
4. When possible, limit heat-producing activities. This includes using the oven, hairdryers and having hot showers and baths.
Protecting your garden
We often talk about protecting your home but with the sunshine we’ve got gardens on our mind too. Here are some tips for securing your garden and any property you keep in it:
1. Keep Your Back Door and Gate Locked
Even if you’re only stepping out briefly, always lock your back door and garden gate. Many garden gates use a sliding pad bolt and padlock, but people often skip the padlock out of convenience, leaving an easy entry point for burglars.
2. Secure Your Shed or Outbuilding
If you store valuable items like tools, office equipment, or gym gear in an outdoor building, they may only be covered by your home insurance if there’s clear evidence of forced entry. Make sure to keep it locked whenever you’re not using it and for enhanced security add motion sensor lights, a security camera, and a reliable burglar alarm.
3. Protect Your Garden Furniture
Most home insurance policies don’t cover damage from general wear and tear. So make sure you use appropriate covers for your garden furniture when not in use and, if possible, store it in a dry, secure place during the colder months to prolong its life and protect it from bad weather.
4. Secure Ornaments and Expensive Garden Equipment
Deter thieves by securing garden ornaments and valuable outdoor equipment. Once you’ve finished using tools, toys, or gardening equipment, store them safely in a shed or garage instead of leaving them out where opportunistic thieves can easily grab them.
Contents in the open and garden items are protected up to £1000 with a Uinsure Home Insurance policy.
Got a sinking feeling?
Subsidence is when the ground beneath a property sinks or shifts, causing the building’s foundations to move. This movement can result in cracks to walls, ceilings, and brickwork. If left untreated, it may lead to serious structural damage.
Why does subsidence get worse in hot weather?
Subsidence tends to worsen during periods of hot and dry weather because the soil shrinks as it dries out. This shrinkage removes support from the building’s foundations, leading them to drop or shift unevenly.
Prolonged heat waves can also dry out tree roots, which then draw even more moisture from the surrounding ground in search of water, increasing the risk of subsidence for nearby properties.
What you should look out for
Homeowners should keep an eye out for tell-tale signs of subsidence, including large cracks in walls, particularly those wider than 3mm (about the width of a £1 coin). These cracks often appear around doors and windows or where an extension meets the main building.
Other indicators include doors and windows sticking or becoming misaligned, uneven floors, or visible ripples in wallpaper not caused by damp. If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to seek professional advice promptly to assess the situation and prevent further damage.
If you’re unsure about what your home insurance does and doesn’t cover when it comes to topics like your garden and subsidence, make sure you check your policy documents.