at home with Sarah Beeny - August 2012 - (Page 203)

Head of the house W Prevention plan ith summer now in full-swing and the sun shining, the shivers of winter may seem all but a distant memory. However, it’s no time to get complacent – now’s the perfect time to give your roof its annual check before the autumn leaves begin to fall. No part of your home faces harder wear and tear than the roof, which is alternately scorched, rained on and frozen during the seasons – sometimes all in the same day! At first, it may seem pretty much impossible to even think about taking on a project as big as roof maintenance yourself – especially if you don’t have a head for heights. But there are a few things you can do to monitor its condition, which don’t involve teetering at the top of a ladder, before calling on the services of a professional roofer. Keeping your home safe and dry would simply not be possible without a roof, but equally a leaKy roof could spell disaster. we tell you what to looK out for when it comes to Keeping your property in tip-top condition Go to ground: Inspect the area around your house for roofing materials. Roof tiles, for example, can be loosened during high winds and fall near the house. Check the chimney: Pay attention to where it meets the roof. If you find water seeping from your chimney, you can be pretty sure you’ve got a leak. Also, inspect any other roof penetrations, such as vents, fans and skylights, looking for telltale cracks that have started in the sealant. Look for leaves: A build-up of leaves and debris in the roof valley (where two roofs join at an angle) can cause water to pool and leak through the roof. Keep an eye out for debris building up on the roof and clear it up as soon as you can. What’s more, debris that’s left to sit on your roof for a length of time can lead the wood frame to rot. Gutters filled with leaves and debris, and clogged up down-pipes, allow water to back up, which can cause leaks in the roof. Gutters should be cleaned regularly and downpipes checked for rubbish and clogging (see Don’t Forget Your Gutters, overleaf). > The most obvious sign of a leaky roof is water pouring into your house. But, in an ideal world, you’d want to stop a leak long before it was able to create so much damage. And having a yearly (or even a biannual) roof check-up can stop that from happening in the first place. Attack the attic: Up here, you can get right up under the roof to look for signs of trouble. Roof leaks tend to be pretty sneaky, dripping a little at a time, so that any problems can go undetected for years before you see any evidence of a leak inside your house. But one thing you can be sure of is that left undetected, the drip will get worse. And by the time it shows up as a dirty grey patch on your ceiling, it may have already caused dry rot, fungus and insulation damage, which may require major repairs or even a new roof. A good time to inspect your roof is right after there has been a heavy downpour. In the attic, you’ll be able to see any signs of wetness, rot or mould. Wet spots may not appear directly under the faulty tile. Water travels down to its lowest point before it drips, so you’ll need to trace the signs upwards to find the source. Words: Claire Harris | PhotograPhs: Shutterstock www.athomemagazine.co.uk AUGUST 2012 | 203 http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of at home with Sarah Beeny - August 2012

EDITOR’S LETTER
WELCOME FROM SARAH
NEWS
AWESOME AUGUST
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
TABLE TALK
THE THRIFTY FIFTY
TRENDS ON TRIAL
BEENY UNCUT
ESSENTIAL HOME-BUYING GUIDE
SURVEY SAVVY
WHAT’S THE SCORE?
THE NEW FACE OF PROPERTY?
SELLER SECRETS
LOCATION LOCK-UP
SOAP AND GLORY
OPEN UP
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
TOP SHOP
THE BRIGHT STUFF
GET THE JUNGLE LOOK
WARDROBE WARS
A ONE OFF
MOSAIC MAGIC
GLASS ACT
TAKE TO THE FLOOR
FRAME GAME
IT’S A BLINDER
SNUG AS A BUG
BURNING QUESTION
THE A-TEAM
QUICK FIX
BEAT THE BUILDING BLUES
LET THERE BE LIGHT
GOING DOWN
GARDEN GREATS
DIRTY DEALINGS
ALIEN INVASION
JUMP RIGHT IN
LITTLE WONDER
OUT OF SIGHT
PROFESSOR GREEN
ECO EXCLUSIVE
TALKING TRASH
PRO PLANET PROJECTS
HELLO, SUNSHINE
CARBON-NEUTRAL COVER
STAR GLAZER
EARTH HOUR
HOT TOPIC
MASS REDUCTION
WASTE NOT
SWITCHED ON
ETHICAL INTERIORS
YOU LIVE WHERE?
COMING SOON
WINNING SPOT
LUXE LINEN
CATCH-UP
STOCKISTS

at home with Sarah Beeny - August 2012