No matter the time of year they occur, storms can be severe and wreak havoc if you are unprepared. There are simple things you can do to minimise the impact of storms on your home and surrounding property—whether it is wind, hail, heavy rain or flooding.
Here are Level Plumbing's five tips to get your home ready for a major storm to significantly reduce the risk of storm damage.
1. Tree Trimming and Clearing
If your home is located among a number of trees, preparations such as regular tree trimming will reduce the number of branches that fall in heavy wind or dense rain. If you have particularly tall trees that need trimming, or you are not confident doing it on your own, then an arborist is your best bet.
Hiring a professional also means they can perform a thorough assessment to tell you when trees are at risk of being blown over in a storm so they can be removed before the worst happens.
2. Roof Inspections
While it is impossible to control the weather, preparations like scheduled maintenance for your roof to identify any problems like leaks are necessary to prevent water damage in the event of a storm. Depending on the type of roof you have, an experienced plumber can help make your roof storm-resistant by carrying out repairs and replacements for broken tiles and replacing missing screws and flashings.
If your roof needs replacing, it may be worth looking into an impact-resistant material option that can withstand severe weather and stormwater runoff.
3. Keeping the Gutters and Drains Clear
Keeping gutters, downpipes and drains clear is a pretty simple thing that can go a long way in preventing storm damage, especially after the autumn and winter months when there is likely to be a build-up of leaves that have fallen, both into the gutters of our home and into surrounding stormwater drains.
The debris that builds up prevents water from flowing away, which in the case of ground-level drains can mean flooding and for gutters, often means water flowing into the roof cavity. Both of these can cause serious (and expensive) issues, so it makes sense to make this simple task a regular home maintenance job.
Level Plumbing Canberra can help you identify the problems and find solutions so that you don't have any issues when the storms come.
4. Landscaping a Yard
Backyards with poor drainage are prone to flooding, but the good news is that with the right trees and plants, you can minimise the effect heavy rain and strong winds have on your property.
Landscaping your garden with strategic planting of trees can provide the right windscreens that buffer your home against strong winds. While you are considering landscaping, it is worth chatting with a plumber to find out what other drainage setups would be beneficial to protect your property.
5. Installing A Stormwater Drainage System
Rather than stormwater flooding your garden and causing damage to your property you can install light and easy-to-use plastic drains that catch the runoff and keep water from pooling on paving, timber and concrete.
Some properties require grated drainage systems at ground level to deal with large water flows across the ground. Especially if your driveway or entertaining area is next to a slope, you need to consider installing stormwater drainage to reduce hazardous effects like a slippery driveway, which is dangerous to walk over and drive on.
Have peace in mind that your house is well prepared for a storm by speaking to one of our experts at Level Plumbing Canberra. We can help assess your home for severe weather damage risks and recommend solutions that will minimise storm damage.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! So, call now at (02) 6188 6088 and make your house storm-proof!
