Preparing Your Static Caravan for the Season

These may seem like simple and obvious checks but good maintenance is worthwhile. Your insurance may cover you for damage caused by storms or falling trees, but damage that is due to wear and tear, or neglected maintenance is not be covered by your insurance. Something as simple as broken guttering causing damage to your walls over a prolonged period could prevent you from claiming on your insurance.

Check your taps

When you turn the water back on have a quick walk around to check all the taps are turned off to avoid any water-related mishaps.

Check for signs of damp and mould

Look out for black mould spots which are commonly found around windows and doors, ceilings – especially where it meets the walls, and bathrooms where you get vapour. Sometimes this can be fixed by a good mould-removal product but it’s important to get to the root cause. Wiping away mould won’t stop if from coming back, as poor ventilation and leaks require fixing. Floor, ceiling and wall mould is the main indicator of ventilation or structural issues that would be worth getting an expert to inspect.

Check for signs of animal infestation

Even the tiniest bread crumb missed under a kitchen cupboard may attract unwanted visitors. Before you settle in and start sharing more food with these little critters, it’s worth looking around the floor and the back of cupboards to see if there’s any evidence of infestation. If you do find signs, look for entry points, where you may wish to leave pest control boxes.

Note that strong odours may also be a sign of animal infestation.

Check for leaks

After the strong winds, rain and snowfall of winter, it is important to check the state of your roof. A simple initial inspection of your ceilings should give you an idea of whether your static caravan has experienced any leakage. As with any home, patches of discolouration and yellowing - usually darker around the edges - may indicate water seepage. It is also worth an external inspection of the guttering and drain pipes as in the long term, over-flowing drainage can cause damage to the external walls and end up being costly to fix.