Check pipes, walls, ceilings and
roof for internal or external water leaks.
A damaged roof, gutter or downwater pipes could result in
telltale brown water stains on walls and ceilings. Apart from
looking unsightly and being susceptible to mould, these water leaks
indicate a gap in your home's external protection, which should be
fixed. During torrential rain these small leaks could become
significant problems, leading to wall or ceiling collapse.
Think about where you have holes or openings in the roof or
walls of your house. Some of these were intentionally made to allow
for plumbing, pipes, electrical cabling, or venting and some are
due to building movement. In either case, permanently seal any
holes, cracks, or gaps and consider temporarily covering vents to
minimise water leakage and consequent damage to walls, ceilings and
flooring.
In most cases, gaps and cracks are discovered after damage has
occurred from water leakage. However, not all leaks produce visible
damage immediately. Some leaks can occur for up to a year before
showing any signs of damage. To avoid this hidden problem, ask
someone qualified to check for gaps and cracks.
Clear gutters and downpipes of
branches and leaves.
Gutter cleaning is an essential part of protection your roof and
property from extreme weather, debris build up and pest
infestation. Unchecked gutters and downpipes can create expensive
problems. Your body corporate should schedule regular maintenance
in order to avoid unexpected damages. Taking the time to maintain
and repair gutters and downpipes can double the life of your roof
drainage system and save you money on repair costs. To maintain a
free-flowing roof-drainage system, clean out the gutters and
downpipes every three months, before the summer storm season and
during autumn, when most trees lose their leaves.
Remove the leaves and branches that have blown onto your roof,
as gutters rust very quickly when leaves accumulate and then
decompose creating a pond. If you have overhanging trees and shrub,
keep these well trimmed to reduce the debris that accumulates in
the gutters. Wear gloves when digging into gutters, as you could
encounter rusty nails and dangerous 'creepy crawlies'. Many
companies provide gutter and roof cleaning services - simply check
the Yellow Pages or search online for a local business.
Rusted gutters break and you then risk overflow into the
ceiling. Install leaf guards (wire mesh) if your roof drainage
system is exposed to falling leaves to stop leaves clogging pipes.
But some say that gutter guards is not a permanent solution, but
simply delay the inevitable. Leaves get caught in the mesh instead
of the gutters, eventually decompose, filter through the mesh holes
and end up in the gutters.
You can either patch leaks in gutters or replace the damaged
section. Aluminium and plastic gutters last longer than galvanized
steel. Overlap the patch material in the direction of the water
flow and cement the edges together securely.
The eaves linings and soffits should be checked regularly for
deterioration because animals can peck and chew their way through
these seeking shelter in your roof cavity. Leaking roofs and
overflowing gutters are other causes of deterioration.
Take care when scaling onto rooves, as they can be very
slippery. Make sure someone is there to hold the ladder when you
get off the roof. Don't be tempted to pain a tile or metal roof to
suit a new house colour scheme, as hail will cut through paint on
roofs in no time.
During a hailstorm, gutters are even more susceptible to
blockage and overflow because hail can't drain away like rainwater,
although it will melt over time. Ensure a reputable professional,
has installed your gutter, in accordance with Australian Building
Codes AS3500. Gutters should be installed so that if they do
overflow due to accumulated hail, the overflow is away from the
property and not back into the eaves of the property.
Under most insurance policies, property owners are responsible
for ensuring that their roof and gutters are correctly maintained.
A failure to maintain these critical parts of your house, or
repairing any deterioration over time, will allow damage to occur
during a storm and may jeopardise your insurance claim, in the
event of storm damage.
You can a Queensland plumber who is a member of the Master Plumbers
Association by searching online.
Check for any corrosion, rotten
timber, or loose fittings.
At any time, rotten timber can pose a serious safety hazard if
any weight-bearing materials, such as flooring, decking, joists and
stairs are compromised and subject to breakage. Warping
weatherboards and vertical cracks to brickwork may indicate
subfloor failure. It is important to maintain a good protective
paint or stain coating on all exposed timberwork, otherwise
deterioration such as splitting and rotting will occur, and again
this can compromise the protective perimeter.
Gradually warping weatherboards may result because of their
exposure to the elements or the house frame drying and warping.
These are not severe problems and but need annual checking because
they can compromise the protective perimeter. Seal any significant
gaps that develop, in order to prevent damaging water or pests from
entering.
Any termite damage to the external walls or footings will
compromise structure strength and stability. Call a professional to
check for termite infestation, which can cause thousands of dollars
damage to timber frames and timer homes. The Building Code of
Australia provides a range of termite management measures that can
be used, including chemical or physical barriers or a combination
of any of these. A qualified termite management contractor should
perform annual inspections or more often, in high-risk areas.
External blinds and awnings that protect windows and prevent
direct sunlight entering are a great idea. However, awning fixtures
can rust and come loose in high winds, so check they're secure at
the beginning of summer.
Does your house have a pitched, or gabled roof? If so, the
external end wall takes a tremendous beating during severe storms.
When a house has a pitched roof, the triangle formed by the
upside-down 'V' and the front or back external wall is called the
gable end wall. Once the gable end wall is damaged, strong winds,
rain or hail can enter the house causing much internal damage.
Gable end walls are easy to strengthen and deserve high priority
on your retrofit list. Typically, gable end trusses are directly
attached to the top of gable end walls. The bottom of the truss
must be securely nailed or screwed to the top of the wall and
braced to adjacent trusses. This prevents wind from pushing or
pulling the gable end at its critical point, where the gable truss
is connected along the gable wall. Without adequate bracing, the
end wall may be destroyed during high intensity winds.
Check hot water system and
rainwater tanks are fixed securely.
External hot water systems and rainwater tanks are often located
adjacent to your house on levelled ground, but not securely
anchored to the ground or wall.
Rainwater tanks are a great addition to any property and enable
self-sufficiency whether for all your water needs or just watering
the garden. Often the only attachment is the pipes that lead to and
from the tanks. A full 2000-litre rainwater tank weighs just over
2000 kg when full.
However heavy these tanks are, a significant flood event could
uplift and be driven into your house or garage, or swept
downstream, where they could damage other properties. And you don't
want the added cost of repairing or replacing and reinstalling
tanks and pumps.
Securing the water tanks to the ground or wall by a strap or
anchor will ensure they don't tip over and break water and gas
pipes, or damage the pressure pump in the event of floods or
earthquake.
Ensure your tank overflow is adequate and clear of debris. A
locked tank overflow will cause water to flow over from the top of
the tank, which may result in erosion of the tank base in heavy
downpours. If your tank base is crushed rock or road base, sandbag
the base to avoid erosion, which leads to instability.
Protect your tank pressure pump by removing and relocating the
pump if necessary. If your pump is submerged, it probably won't
work again and your warranty will be void.
If your tanks are underground, again relocate the pressure pump
before bad weather. Contaminated water can be disinfected using a
non-chorine food-grade tank water purification agent.
