Ten Tips to Reduce Risks and Protect your Property in a Heatwave

 As temperatures hit record highs, what can homeowners do to reduce risks and protect their properties? Steve Barnes, VP at NRLA's insurance partners, Total Landlord Insurance, shares his top ten  tips for homeowners as we grapple with the reality that extreme temperatures are caused by climate change. are making heat waves more intense, more frequent and possible. 

 At Total Landlord Insurance, not only have we noticed that claims are very seasonal, but some claims are on the rise. Property insurance exists to protect homeowners against the  unpredictable, but the truth is that we can often predict when and where homeowners are most at risk. 

 Here are our top ten  tips based on the increase in the types of claims we see during and after a heatwave. 

 1. Protect your pipes 

 People tend to assume that broken pipes are a winter problem. And it is true that  pipes that are not insulated are very susceptible to freezing, causing the water inside to expand and  the pipe to burst. But conversely, water expands when frozen, metal expands when heated. With temperatures soaring, we're seeing more pipes burst  in the summer than ever before, as heat from the sun warps the pipes and expands beyond their capacity, causing them to break. Be sure to service the pipes so that they can withstand both hot and cold temperatures. To learn more, check out  our NRLA guide to preventing pipe breaks in your rental property. 

 2. Check your gutters and drains 

 We all know  storms and  downpours bring a heat wave, and with the arid ground unable to absorb the sudden influx of water, it is essential that gutters and sewers are must be ventilated. The devastating impact of surface flooding caused by unpredictable weather and torrential rain has become a familiar sight across the UK. Drainage systems can become overwhelmed very quickly  during a  downpour, causing groundwater to rise. And when the ground becomes saturated,  excess surface water can cause severe damage to properties, sometimes rendering them completely uninhabitable. Flood requirements, which increase sharply after a hurricane, increase every year with an increase in named storms. With unpredictable and extreme weather becoming more and more frequent and the typical cost to completely repair a flooded home ranging from £20,000 to £45,000, find out what homeowners should do to repair a flooded home. prepare their assets and be ready to make sure they are insured in this case. flooding in our NRLA. guide to protect your property from flooding. 

 3. Move the mirror away from the sun and draw the curtains 

 Mirrors can amplify heat received from  sunlight and  cause fires if shined on other objects. That's not even something many of us would  consider, but unseasonably hot weather brings in even more unusual claims. We recently received a complaint from a homeowner about burning curtains  after the sun's rays reflected off the windows. The heat even scorched the plastic window frames. In a similar case, a tenant left a magnifying mirror in the bedroom next to a mirror, and again the sun reflected on the mirror through the window, burning a

Read more: https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/ten-tips-to-reduce-risks-and-protect-your-property-in-a-heatwave