Five Ways Coronavirus Lockdown Can Damage Your Home Advice, Smart House Tips, Property Guide
Five Ways Coronavirus Lockdown Can Damage Your Home
15 Apr 2020
Now that the Coronavirus lockdown is in full swing, the majority of the UK population now remain in their homes where they are being asked to stay until further notice. This is placing pressure on homes themselves as electrical and mechanical systems increasingly feel the strain.
Coronavirus Lockdown Home Damage
If repairs are needed, DIY enthusiasts remain unphased. In fact, more and more Brits are completing projects they’ve been putting off as they look to keep themselves busy during these worrying times.
Obtaining essential DIY items, however, is troublesome at the minute. Many major retailers have closed their stores entirely, instead offering click and collect or delivery. Frustratingly, essential items may even be out of stock entirely, which isn’t good if we have a household emergency.
So this lockdown, which problems could you face in your home?
5 DIY Disasters You Could Face During Lockdown and How to Fix them
- Blocked Drains. As property maintenance company Aspect.co.uk points out, blocked drains are one of the most significant risks associated with the lockdown period. The bath or shower within your household is probably being used more often, which can clog drains with hair and soap. There are lots of ways to fix the problem yourself, including baking soda and vinegar, a plunger or sewer snake or drain auger. Give them a go if you’re suffering a blocked drain. If it doesn’t fix it, you’ll need to call in a professional drain company.
- Electrical Problems. If you and your family are at home all day, this is bound to place strain on your electrics. The most common problems include power surges, frequent breaker trips and faulty outlets. You can help to lower the problem yourself. Use fewer appliances and switch off anything unnecessary. For high wattage items, try turning them down, and spread the number of devices being used over separate circuits. For more severe problems, call in an electrical contractor.
- Sewer System Backup. Unfortunately, dealing with a backed-up toilet can sometimes be expensive. Start by trying to work out where the blockage is occurring. If it’s on a public road, the water company should be contacted, and they will fix it free of charge. However, if it’s on your property, you’ll need to contact a plumber. Although a collapsed line or root invasion can cause a backed-up toilet, it’s commonly caused through items flushed down the toilet.
- No Heating. At this time of the year, this is perhaps not much of a problem. Nevertheless, there are those days where there is a chill in the air. If you discover your heating isn’t working, start by checking the radiators.
If some of them still work, you may need to ‘bleed’ the ineffective ones using a radiator key to release the trapped air. Thermostats not appropriately set, and unpressurised boilers are other common reasons for heating not working. Still, they can be fixed easily by the homeowner. For more severe problems like a broken component with the boiler, you’ll need to call in a plumber.
- Decorative Damage. If your kids are home from school and need to let off excess steam around the house, be prepared for some minor damage to paintwork, plaster and woodwork.
Thankfully, these are inexpensive repairs you can complete yourself. If wooden furniture or mouldings have become damaged, they can be filled with an appropriate filler then re-finished. Chipped paintwork is also easy to fix, by removing the loose paint, filling, sanding and re-painting. More severe repairs like cracks or holes in plaster can also be repaired easily with a bonding agent.
If you face a household maintenance problem, and you’re up for fixing it yourself and feel competent, by all means, give it a go. However, some jobs are best left to a professional. So use your judgement wisely, and above all else, stay safe.
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