What to Check for Maintenance Inspection at Home after Strong Winds

Have your property checked by a building inspector right after a strong wind or storm.

Many homes in Australia can handle moderate, strong winds due to proper construction. If higher, stronger gale-force winds hit, however, you would want to do a home inspection.

Gales and even tornadoes have winds between 88 and 130 kilometres per hour. This much wind power can uproot trees and even send debris flying.

Once the wind dies down, you need to check your home. You’ll want to do a maintenance inspection. But what should you look for?

In this guide, we give you the three main things you need to check in your home after you have experienced strong winds. With this, we will help you confirm which parts of your home to check. Many of these can either pose danger or damage your home if you leave them unchecked.

Take a look now.

What to Check for Maintenance Inspection at Home after Strong Winds - maintenance inspection

Checking your roofing.

The number one area that you need to look at is your roof. Most roofing systems can handle moderate gale winds if they have been installed correctly. Materials like roofing tiles and corrugated aluminium can withstand most common wind events with little damage.

There are a few red flags that’s can indicate bigger problems. If you have an older home, your roofing might not be in its best condition. Older homes with cracked, damaged or missing tiles and shingles can cause cascading damage over time.

Once gale-force winds go by, this will have a domino effect, resulting in material defects. The more events happen, the more significant the damage can become. This will snowball into bigger damage and higher cost in the long run.

Another problem can be bad workmanship. If your previous tradie or roofing contractor didn’t do a good job, it could lead to flying debris. This problem can damage your roof, any skylights, and even your gutters during a storm wind.

What to look for in roofing inspections

There are a few things you need to remember when doing a maintenance inspection for your home roofing. DIY checks before bringing professional inspectors can give you an easier time.

  1. Check for loose or missing tiles or shingles.
  2. Look for any damaged, clogged, or loose gutters.
  3. Look for loose, damaged or missing ridge caps.
  4. Remove any heavy debris that could damage your roofing.
  5. Check vents and vent covers for damage or missing parts.
  6. Check skylights and whirlybirds for damage or missing parts.
  7. Check for roof leaks or damage in your attic and roof space.
  8. Inspect any AC and heating units mounted on the roof.
  9. If you have solar panels, check for damage, loose parts, damaged connections or debris.

When doing roof inspections, you want to use certified maintenance inspection companies in order to maintain a good property value. Leaks and damage to your roofing from gale-force winds can significant impact on the property value.

Roofing is one of the most crucial parts of your home. Any issues with it can cost thousands to repair and kill your home’s value outright if you miss them.

What to Check for Maintenance Inspection at Home after Strong Winds - maintenance inspection

Check your home utilities.

The next part of your home that you need to check after strong winds are your utilities. Electrical, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, plumbing, and gas are crucial areas to check. You might wonder why, but all of these can pose extreme dangers to your home.

Strong winds can damage the electrical connections outside your home. They can strip insulations and even cause frays, which, when combined with wet surroundings, can become hazards.

The same is possible with gas lines. If you have gas lines outside or even liquefied gas, debris can puncture their cylinders and damage the control valves. The damage can make them fire hazards when you next use them.

For your HVAC, you need to check your pipes for any damages or leaks. Flying debris can create bad punctures that can cause leaks. Check your HVAC units for any damage or if any connections broke from the strong winds.

Strong winds can rattle your home. Your plumbing can twist and crack from the extreme pressure of tornado-level winds. After the storm, look at your plumbing as soon as possible.

You can turn on all your plumbing fixtures and see if there are any loose, damaged or leaking pipes. Check different parts of your home for water damage or excess moisture, which can point to leaks. If you think your sewage lines took some damage, it’s best not to use your toilets and grease traps until you get this looked at by a plumber.

Any problems on the utilities could be red flags if you sell your home.

What to Check for Maintenance Inspection at Home after Strong Winds - maintenance inspection

Check your doors and windows.

One of the scariest things about gale-force winds is flying debris. Thick branches, dirt, and rocks can become bullets that are ravaging through the air. In these situations, your doors and windows can receive severe damage.

Perform a quick inspection of your doors and windows right after the strong winds subside. Check the glass for missing panes, cracks, and other damage. Many people experience shattered glass when winds exceed 100 kph.

If there are any cracks or damage, replace them as soon as you can. If you can’t do a quick replacement, try to cover and protect your windows with tape. While this is a band-aid solution, it should be enough until you can do a proper fix.

Check for damage on the frames and the sashes. See if there are any bent or damaged parts that are harder to move or adjust. You also want to check the frame and make sure it’s not loose.

As for doors, look at the door itself. Check for bends, punctures, or damage to the hinges and the frame. If there are cracks or extreme warps, have these parts repaired as soon as you can.

You need to do maintenance inspections now

When checking after strong winds, the primary focus of your maintenance inspection should be the roof, the utilities, the windows, and the doors. Be vigilant about any potential damages and rectify them as soon as you can. Not only are these hazards to your health, but they can also decrease your home’s property value as well.

When you can, hire a maintenance inspection company to take a professional inspection of your property. A building inspector with enough expertise can see if there are any dilapidations or structural issues that can become a problem. Our team can give you a fair assessment of what needs to happen. Contact us today and let’s discuss how we can help!