Protect your holiday home from the elements this winter
As winter approaches, it's vitally important to prepare yourself for the coming cold weather and carry out important maintenance to keep your holiday home in tip-top shape for your return. Following this guidance will ensure that any repairs or maintenance required will be at an absolute minimum when you come back to use your holiday home after the winter. We hope to provide you with all the knowledge you'll need to carry out all the necessary preparations through our own experience as well as advice gained from owners and holiday home manufacturers.
Disconnection & Gas Safety
The first step to carry out is disconnecting your holiday home from energy sources. Ensure gas canisters are disconnected and that the valves are closed. Full or partially-filled gas canisters should be stored in a secure and well ventilated location. While the freezing point of propane is well below what we'd expect in even the harshest British winters, butane can freeze even in temperatures a few degrees above zero. If you are connected to mains gas, ensure this is turned off before you leave for the winter, as well as your electricity.
Draining Down
Starting from within is the best practice for preparing your holiday home, working your way to the outside. The first process is to drain down your water system and prevent the risk of water freezing within. Check your model's handbook and locate your drain plug, turn all the taps and allow the hot and cold water systems to drain entirely. Drain the toilet cistern by flushing it and pour some antifreeze into the toilet bowl. Add antifreeze into all plugholes and pipes to prevent the freezing of residual water which would otherwise cause damage. Once the water is drained, disconnect your stopcock to prevent any water seeping in. Stopcocks can continue to seep water even when they are closed, so disconnecting it is a sensible precaution.
Preventing Damp
Firstly, remove all soft furnishings and store them somewhere safely. You could either take items home for storage, or alternatively, vacuum bags could be used to remove air and moisture while storing items within your holiday home. Move all furniture to the centre of rooms where possible to avoid contact with outer walls. Open all wardrobes, cupboards and doors to maximise airflow - don't forget to empty your fridge or freezer and leave them open too. It's worthwhile cleaning your fridge/freezer also, preventing any nasty odours on your return. Once everything is moved and all doors opened, you can prevent damp by trapping moisture. Strategically placing bowls of salt or interior dehumidifiers that contain moisture-trapping crystals will prevent the growth of mould throughout.
External Preparations
Check the entire exterior of your holiday home, if any repairs are required or any maintenance is needed then it's much better to get this looked at now before you risk it worsening during inclement weather. Whilst your holiday home is designed to withstand the Great British weather, it's still worthwhile being prepared, as we all know how predictable that weather can be!
Giving the exterior a good clean would be a great first step, and following a clean with some quality overwintering fluid will prevent any dirt, grime and algae building up. For more compact holiday home models, you could even cover it with a breathable cover to further protect from the elements. Just keep in mind that you should ensure that any cover is designed for this purpose, as non-breathable covers or tarpaulins would cause condensation to build up beneath. Finally, you should check on the anchoring, making sure it is firmly anchored to the ground and to see if there is any rust or corrosion that needs to be dealt with.
Now that everything is prepared, you might want to come and check back on your holiday home periodically to ensure no damage has occurred, especially if we've had any particularly harsh weather. If you have friends on park then you could help each other out by checking on each others holiday homes when visiting, or if you have friends or family living nearby or just passing, it's worth asking them to make an extra check for you too if you're unable to make the trip specifically.
To Recap:
- Disconnect
- Drain Down
- Damp Prevention
- Check, Clean and Repair Externally
- Visit Periodically
Hopefully we've provided enough information for you to be prepared this winter, but if you need any more advice or assistance, our park teams will be more than happy to advise you, so don't hesitate to ask them.