Seasonal Advice · 4 min read
Getting Your House Ready for the Winter Rain
Cyprus winters are short but rough. One November storm finds every blocked gutter and weak pipe on the island.
The wettest weeks of the year
Most of our rain falls in a handful of storms between November and February. After eight dry months, gutters are full of dust and leaves, terrace drains are choked, and the first serious downpour ends up everywhere except where it should. Flooded verandas, damp walls and water entering the house are the usual results.
Your October checklist
Clear the gutters and terrace drains before the first storm. Check that the overflow pipes from your water tanks discharge outside rather than into a wall. Protect any exposed pipework on north-facing walls. Test the pressure pump before you actually need it.
If the house sits empty over winter
Turn the water off at the mains and drain the system. A burst pipe in an empty property can run for weeks before anyone notices. The repair bill is always far greater than the thirty minutes it takes to shut the system down properly, and we carry out winterisation visits for exactly this purpose.
If a storm has already found the weak point
Take photos before touching anything, close the nearest valve and contact us. It helps a great deal if you can show exactly what happened and where the water came in.
Prefer to leave it to a professional?
One phone call or one WhatsApp photo is usually enough for us to identify the problem and tell you what the repair involves.