Period properties

Thatched roof cottage - image courtesy of stock.xchng

Houses with period features such as thatched roofs and chimneys are popular on the property market. If you’ve invested in a traditional house, along with all the character comes extra responsibilities that need to be taken to keep it safe from fire.

Chimneys

• Sweep the chimney before use if you haven’t used it for some time;
• Sweep the chimney at least once a year if you burn coal or twice a year if you burn logs;
• Always keep a fireguard in front of a burning fire;
• Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house;
• NEVER use petrol or paraffin to light your fire.

Thatched roofs

• A thatched roof is always at risk from fire. Once a fire has taken hold in a thatch it will spread rapidly. The commonest causes of fire in a thatched building are electrical faults, lightening affecting the television aerial, stray sparks from the chimneys, discarded cigarettes and garden bonfires.
• Television aerials should be fitted to a freestanding pole. Where this is not possible, it may be fixed to a gable or gable end chimney where the cable can by run down the wall, avoiding contact with the thatch.
• Disconnect the TV aerial during electrical storms to prevent damage to the system. Lightning conductors should conform to British Standard BS 6651 1999. For more information about this visit www.hse.gov.uk.
• Protect your household by fitting and maintaining smoke alarms.