Minimising the Impact of Wild Weather on Homes

COMMUNITY NOTICE

MINIMISING THE IMPACT OF WILD WEATHER – advice for homeowners

13 July 2007

The recent weather has brought destruction and damage to buildings and homes on an unprecedented level. The bad news is - the type of weather events we’ve been witnessing lately are predicted to increase. The good news is - you can minimise the potential for damage to your home in many cases.

Routine and regular maintenance checks, like those prescribed in the BRANZ publication ‘Maintaining Your Home’ can help minimise the potential damage to your home.

To minimise wind damage:
- Ensure your roof is properly fixed down– ensure flashings are not lifting and have enough fixings for wind loads, and the fixings have not pulled out. Add extra screws and replace pulled fixings with screws.
- Trim trees which could damage gutters or windows and do not have loose materials lying around your section.
- Remove all trees or parts of tress which are close to buildings, powerlines, or telephone lines,
- Close and securely latch windows.

In a severe wind storm, if you have prior warning:
- Put plywood covers over large areas of glazing (windows) on the windy side of your house.
- Store any loose items that could potentially turn into missiles – rubbish bins, wheel-barrows etc.
- Provide temporary support (from the inside to the centre of large garage doors by using timber struts.

To minimise flood damage if there’s time:
- Lift all movable items within the house as high as possible – if your house is prone to flooding then preferably higher than the highest known flood level.
- Close all windows and doors between rooms.
- Cover all low-level windows and glazed doors on the outside with plywood, old corrugated iron or timber boarding to prevent glass being broken.
- Turn off water, electricity and gas.
- Temporarily block off sub-floor vents and openings where possible.
- Sandbag doors.

If your house is flood damaged, BRANZ bulletin 455 – Restoring your house after flood damage is free and available at www.branz.co.nz

“Maintaining Your Home” is available from BRANZ and from leading bookstores throughout New Zealand.

ENDS

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