Local building experts are holding a free event to ensure properties across Millport are protected and secure over the winter months.
Climate change is making our winters wetter – here in the west of Scotland, winter rainfall in the past 50 years is up by almost 45%.
And that is bad news for your roof, gutter and drains.
Local building experts are holding a free event to help Millport property owners know how to check if their homes are coping with wetter weather.
The event is part of Under One Roof’s National Maintenance week, an annual event set at the time of year when we should all be cleaning the autumn leaves and other debris from our gutters and making sure our roof will keep us dry over the winter.
The event, sponsored by the Millport Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme, is happening on Monday 4 December, from 1pm-2.30pm at the DA Hall, The Garrison, Millport.
Millport CARS offers grant funding within a designated area to help property owners and tenants repair the external part of their historic buildings. Visit www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/MillportCARS to apply.
There will be a short presentation and a walking tour, helping property owners to spot building issues. The tour will be led by Peter Drummond, a conservation architect with considerable experience managing building repairs.
Handy tips for property owners: Check your roof for slipped slates or tiles. From street level, you may see loose slates sitting in the gutter. If you can get some height from a neighbouring building, you can also use a pair of binoculars. Roof leaks are also visible from inside the loft where wet timbers and walls show up leaks.
Check your gutters when it’s raining – is water coming over the top because they are blocked or leaking through broken joints leaving damp stains on the walls below? Are the gutters sloping the right way to the downpipes?
If you live in a flat, the new Under One Roof Scotland website (www.underoneroof.scot), provides you with impartial advice on building repairs and maintenance.