Insurance and Fire Safety
Fire Safety is a very important issue when it comes to thatch insurance. Some of our thatch insurance specialist associates have contributed useful information on this topic for this latest article. Meeting fire safety criteria for your insurance is imperative as if the worst should happen you need cover.
No one no one wants a fire in a thatched roof as they are very hard to extinguish. In these times when insurance seems high, remember that buildings cover is the most important, and meeting fire safety requirements is on that list.
Here is some helpful information on fire safety from some of our our Thatch Directory specialist thatch insurers, usual 100 word limit.
Insurers comments on Fire Safety Issues
Certis Insurance Brokers
Fire Safety ‘must-haves for your property:
- Wireless smoke alarms powered by lithium batteries. Alarms need to be interconnected to each other via radiofrequency & NOT reliant on Wi-Fi or electricity to function.
- Chimneys swept a minimum of twice a year, as it is impossible for insurers to measure the frequency of chimney use at each individual property.
- Spark arrestors – our recommendation is to remove them completely. There is no insurance benefit to having them in place & insurers will generally need them to be cleaned every 3 months .
Thatch Cover
Fire safety requirements can feel like an arduous tick-box exercise, but the purpose is to achieve what everyone wants: preventing a fire from occurring and to aid occupants escape should the worst happen. Conditions often include having fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and regular inspections of electrical systems and chimneys. Insurers vary in their specific requirements, so with access to many more insurers than any other broker, we’ll factor in what you already have in place. In some cases, we can negotiate variations with underwriters, depending on your exact circumstances. Speak to one of our friendly experts today for more information.
County Insurance
Thatch home insurance policies will have specific conditions that are designed to help prevent a fire from occurring, where chimneys are in use, there are stated periods where professional chimney sweeping must take place, having smoke detectors / fire extinguishers on each floor of the property, a fire blanket in the kitchen and minimum distances for barbecues, bonfires, old thatch to be burnt from the property. Please read these to ensure that you do comply with all of them. We have our own thatch schemes direct with insurers so you can always discuss your risk with our team of experts.
Lloyd & Whyte
While thatched properties are not at greater risk of fires than modern properties, following thorough fire safety practices can stand you in good stead with your insurer.
If you’re installing a wood burner or fireplace, check it complies with regulations. Clean your chimney regularly to remove soot buildup, which can cause chimney fires. While insurers’ criteria will vary, cleaning your chimney at least twice a year is essential.
Ensure that all electrical wiring in the property is up to standard. Install smoke alarms specifically designed for early detection. Some insurers require bonfires located at least 100m from your home.
Fire Safety Leaflet
Fire Safety has been a high priority for us over the years. No one wants a fire in their thatched property, so understanding the fire risks and how to reduce them have highlighted in our Thatch Fire Safety Leaflet.
The information from our specialist insurance associates above is hugely appreciated especially as policies and requirements can vary. Working together is our motto and the more we do, the better the advice and less the chances of thatch fires.
The insurers obviously have fire safety high on their agendas as well and now are far more up to date with their understanding of the risks.
Thanks to our Associates for the valued input and to those who have read to the end, clicked on the links and done their best in understanding more about insurance and fire safety issues. Until the next insurance article….
Fire Safety and Recent Thatch Fires
Things had been improving and then the last few weeks there has been a spate of thatch fires.
Whilst waiting for the information on the causes, it seems that a cold snap after Xmas often sees a spike in the thatch fire numbers. Not all thatch fires are caused by solid fuel burning so don’t be complacent. Please understand your individual property and reduce all the fire risks you can identify.
We will be looking at the data, on these recent fires, with other interested parties. This will be particularly to see if there is correlation to solid fuel burning and chimney care/cleaning at this time of year. So watch this space. Sadly, due to the nature of thatch, recent fires involving terraced thatched properties were particularly devastating to see, affecting multiple families.
Please make sure you read our Thatch Fire Safety Leaflet (highlighting areas where you can improve safety based on the up to date research and information) and meet your insurance requirements on this topic.
There are ways to reduce the risks, improve fire safety and improve peace of mind and enjoyment of your thatch. Remember, there are not more thatch fires than other roofed building fires, its just that thatch is harder to extinguish and so often causes bigger damage. That is why insurance, fire safety and identifying and reducing risks is so important so that a fire does not happen.
