What do gutters have to do with energy efficiency?

A wet wall is a cold wall.

Keeping your home warm means avoiding drips and leaks. Believe me, attempting to heat a cold damp wall will cost you a fortune in heating bills

Think about the last time you got soaked when wearing your jeans. I bet you were really cold until they dried out.

Walls work in the same way. They take a long time to dry and until they do, they feel really cold. You're left struggling to warm the house up without understanding why. And the answer lies in the dripping gutter.

So stop putting off those irritating maintenance jobs that are constantly on the list for ‘next Saturday’. Get yourself and your ladder out there before the winter comes.

Clear the gutters

Autumn is the danger time for gutters. Autumn leaves fall in and clog them up, leaving water to overflow down your wall.

Equally spring time sees birds shuffling bits of stick and leaves around for their nests, sometimes dropping theim into your gutter or even attempting to camp there. All of which blocks the easy flow of water .

Make a note to check them on a regular basis so water doesn't end up running down your walls. Just get up on the steps and scoop out the leaves and muck.

Flat roofs

If you have a flat roof clear away any debris that's gathered – probably with the help of birds – over the summer. You don’t want any places where water can gather over winter. When water freezes is expands, contracting again when it melts. That expansion and contraction can damage roofing materials and cause leaks.

Check your external walls

Take a look at the pointing on your walls – that’s the mortar that joins the bricks together. Also check the render for any cracks or breakage. Where you have damage, moisture can get into the walls and will eventually degrade the brick.

Also worth checking where you have foliage growing up the wall – wisteria, ivy, virginia creeper… Ivy is particularly destructive on a wall – it really digs in and causes damage. While it looks lovely, it a bit of a thug to your bricks and mortar, so think about whether it's really worth it.

Check your drainage

Check out pipes coming from the bathroom, pipes coming out from the kitchen. Make sure nothing is leaking and leaving water sitting around.

While you’re there, make sure you have easy access to the stopcock – the main tap to your mains water supply. Always good to know how to access it quickly in case something goes wrong. The sooner you can switch water off, the less damage will be done.    

Check your airbricks

If you live in an old house that was built before 1930, solid brick build and suspended floor, you’ll have airbricks around the base of your house. These bricks serve the sub floor void (the big gap underneath the floorboards) which requires a constant flow of fresh air to stay dry. Keep a close eye on the airbricks and make sure they’re not covered with soil, foliage or rubbish.

If your house was built in the 1970 or later then you’ll probably have a block and beam floor which also has air bricks. Good to keep these clear for the same reasons.

Keep a steady eye

When thinking energy efficiency it's tempting to focus on insulation and cheap heating. But caring for the fabric of your house is also really important. Done regularly maintenance can make it easier to heat your home.

So avoid the drips and leaks and you’ll do your energy bill a service.