Fire Safety for Thatch from the Thatch Advice Centre

The Thatch Advice Centre has published a leaflet outlining many of the steps which you can take to make your home safer.  Of course it is all quite obvious stuff about electrical safety, chimney sweeping, smoking, kitchen safety etc.  HOWEVER, IT IS STILL WORTH A READ!  We all need reminding of the obvious from time to time!

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Call me to discuss your insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983

Email john.mitchell@exportandgeneral.co.uk

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Thatch Advice Centre Website

The Thatch Advice Centre is launching a new website and directory.  This website is a free resource for anyone who owns or maintains a thatched property.

TAC is run by Master Thatchers and thatched home owners and aims to give out the benefit of many years of experience.  The aim of their directory is to offer relevant, useful and up to date information about suppliers of relevant services so that customers can make informed decision about whatever they are doing or planning with their thatched property.

There is information on types of thatch, materials, care programmes, fire safety etc – everything you could hope to know.

Read more….

Call me to discuss your insurance needs on 0208 2550617 / 07768 865983

Get a quote: http://www.exportandgeneral.co.uk/thatched-property-insurance.php

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Nearly 40% saved on thatched property insurance

Blowing one's own trumpet isn't always a good idea!  We've all done it and we've all suffered as a result.  However, given the price hikes currently being experienced in the Thatched Property Insurance Market at this moment in time, I can't help myslef.

WE - EXPORT AND GENERAL INSURANCE SERVICES LTD (Thatched Property Insurance Division) - have once again saved one of our clients a massive amount of money on thier thatched buildings and contents insurance!  We saved nearly 40% on thatched property insurance. The story is like this:

Existing insurer renewal quote: just over £1,300 premium with an excess of nearly £1,000

Our Quote Number 1: just under £1,600 premium and an excess of £500

Our Quote Number 2: just over £800 permium with an excess of £100

Clearly our Quote Number 2 was accepted and incepted with insurers - as the insurance cover in all 3 cases is pretty much identical.  Using a broker who knows what they are doing will get results!  Our reelationship with the insurers who support us is the key to our success.  Nearly 40% saved on thatched property insurance - even we are impressed!

Spread the word!

Call John on: 01454 615417 for a quote!

A Safe and Happy Bonfire Night across the UK

Unless anybody can tell me differently, it appears that Bonfire Night (or Bonfire Weekend) passed without a thatch fire!  Despite the stray fireworks and sparks scattered across the sky, we seem to have been lucky this year.

Heavy rain across the country was clearly a help - not to mention care, vigilance and forethought on the part of thatch owners and bonfire aficionados!

Again, I refer to my post of last week - we managed to save a new thatched property cleint nearly 40% of their insurance premium.  Now is a good time to change insurer especially as some of the long-standing insurers in the market a clearly losing their appetite.  Call us - 01454 615 417.  Or email john@exportandgeneral.co.uk.

Dr John C Mitchell

Thatch Safe Cooking! No Smoking!

How do we know that the owners of thatched properties are non smoking careful cooks?

Causes of House fires in non-thatched homes:

• Cooking – 50%+
• Electrical appliances – 13%
• Smoking – 7%
• Electrical Distribution – 7%
• Heating devices – 4%
• “Other” – 15%

Causes of House fires in thatched properties:

• Electrical faults
• Faults in the flu or flu liner
• Stray sparks from the chimneys, discarded cigarettes and garden bonfire
• Heat transfer can be added to this list 

There we have it, owners of thatched properties are careful cooks who monitor carefully their chip pans – and who don’t fall asleep while holding burning cigarettes!  

Thatch fire is a very serious matter - as is any house fire - an understanding of where risk lies, careful and adequate preparation, along with the application of preventative measures - physical and mental - are the keys to longevity and safety.

Some more Statistics:

What you get from your thatch:

• Water reed 55-65 years
• Combed wheat 20-40 years
• Long Straw 15-25 years

Dangers:

• 50,000 thatched homes in the UK
• 50 to 100 thatched homes are destroyed or seriously damaged every year

Chances of Fire:

• Chances of fire in a normal house – 1:320
• Chances of fire in a thatched house – 1:735

Recorded Deaths:

• 1 death in twentieth century from a thatch fire 

 We can help you with your insurance The Thatch Advice Centre can help you with the rest!

Suffolk Preservation Society Update

For info on the "burning issue" follow the link below:

Autumn Conference Fire and Thatch: a burning issue: http://www.suffolksociety.org/mediareleasefireandthatchoct11.pdf

The increasing incidence of fire in recent years.......

Thatch Safety Advice from the Thatch Advice Center

Thatch fires do get a lot of bad publicity but, with sensible precautions, you can greatly reduce the risk and, in most cases, reduce your insurance premium

There are specialist products available to reduce the fire risk in thatched properties

• Fire retardant spray www.magmafirestop.co.uk 
• Fire barriers eg THATCH-SAFE®
• Alarm system

http://www.thatchadvicecentre.co.uk/fire_safety_advice1.html