Useful tips for maintaining your home

Condensation

Condensation is caused by too much moisture in your home. When moisture in the air meets a cold surface like a window or a wall, it turns into water. If this happens regularly, mould will start to grow on cold outside walls and surfaces, and in areas where the air does not circulate. It can also damage clothes and furnishings.

To deal with condensation, you need to:

• produce less moisture
• remove the moisture with ventilation.

Produce less moisture by:

• keeping your home as warm as you can afford (it's best to have the heat on for longer periods, at a lower temperature)
• keeping lids on pans when youíre cooking
• stopping kettles from boiling longer than necessary
• drying clothes outside if you can, or in the bathroom with the door closed, the window open or the fan on - don't dry clothes over radiators or storage heaters
• if you have a tumble dryer, ventilating it to the outside (unless it is the self-condensing type).
  

Remove the moisture by:

• keeping windows open as much as possible, especially in the kitchen and bathroom when you are cooking, washing up, bathing or drying clothes
• closing kitchen and bathroom doors to stop the moisture reaching other rooms (especially bedrooms, which are often colder and more likely to get condensation)
• ventilating cupboards and wardrobes if possible
• avoiding putting furniture in front of cold walls or radiators
• using extractor fans, if you have them.

Any condensation that still forms, for example on windows, can be wiped away. And if you have problems with mould, there are products on the market to clean it off, or you can make up your own mixture of one part bleach to four parts water.

If you find that taking all these measures doesn't improve your problem, contact the Customer Services Team for advice.

Burst pipes and flooding

Frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage if they burst. During cold weather, you should:

• make sure you know where your main stopcock is and that you know how to use it
• keep your home as warm as you can afford
• make sure your pipes are properly insulated.
  

If you are going away during the colder months:

• turn off water heaters and the mains water supply
• empty the water system by running your taps until the water stops
• flush the toilet to empty the cistern and put salt in the pan to stop the remaining water freezing
• tell us, and a neighbour, that you will be away, and leave a set of keys with someone you trust (let us know who it is)
• when you come back, turn on the stopcock and run a bath tap until the water runs freely.
  

If you have a burst pipe:

• turn off main stopcock, all water heaters and heating boilers
• turn on all the taps
• use rags and a container under the leak to prevent damage
• switch off any lights affected
• if any electrical appliances are getting wet, turn off the electricity circuit at the fuse box
• contact our Customer Services Team immediately.

Blockages

It is your responsibility to clear any blockages to kitchen sinks,wash hand basins, baths or toilets.

Kitchen sinks become blocked when there's a build-up of debris. Before calling us, try removing the problem by pushing a flexible rod down the sink, or by using a sink plunger to force water up and down the pipe, or by using a drain cleaner. To avoid blockages, you should never pour fat or tea leaves down your sink.

Baths and basins can become blocked with soap and hair. Gently try to remove the problem using a bent wire or flexible rod. If this doesn't work, place a bowl or bucket under the trap, unscrew the trap under the bath or sink and clean it out.

To avoid toilets becoming blocked, never flush nappies, sanitary towels or other large objects down the toilet (even if they say they are "disposable").

Gardens

If your home has its own garden, it is your responsibility to keep it in order. You will need to:

• remove any weeds, by pulling them up and digging out the roots ñ if you use a weedkiller, be sure to follow the instructions on the pack
• mow your lawn once a fortnight from April to October.
• prevent plants growing up the walls of the property.
  

If you have the use of a shared garden, any gardening is either done by our contractors (you will pay for this through your service charge), or by you and your neighbours.

To keep shared areas looking good, please don't:

• take shortcuts across planting beds
• dig up or remove plants
• let your children damage plants or trees - especially by ripping down branches, or stripping off the bark
  

If you see anyone damaging or removing plants, please contact us.