In the winter of 2019-2020, a number of severe storms raged across the world, causing considerable damage. The world is also not unfamiliar with severe summer or autumn storms. All the more reason to protect your home against heavy gusts of wind and thus prevent storm damage. This article will cover a few tips and tricks to prevent your roof and/or solar panels from being damaged during the next heavy gusts of wind in the world.
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A compact construction is more resistant to heavy wind
A compact house without too much extension is more resistant to a storm than a house with many corners and sides because in the latter case the wind has much more grip on your home. Therefore, think carefully about the design of your home. Also build airtight, where it is best to avoid open attics and canopies.
What is airtight construction?
Airtight construction has become very important in recent years to be able to live more energy-efficiently. It means that you build in such a way that no more air leaks arise. An air leak causes heat loss, counteracts controlled ventilation, causes an acoustic nuisance, and can cause building damage. For a roof you can, for example, opt for a sarking roof or a well-placed vapor barrier to prevent air leaks.
Opt for anchoring on a sloping roof
When you choose a pitched roof, you will often choose roof tiles as roof covering. In this case, it is important that you ensure that the roof tiles in the edge zones, such as the roof base, ridge, and pointed gables, are anchored according to the regulations. This is also important for obstacles on the roof, such as a chimney. Also, ensure that the wall plate is fixed by anchoring this plate to the structural work by means of anchors embedded in the wall. You can also secure it with bolts. You fix this in a concrete ring beam.
Anchoring edge and corner zones on flat roofs
The roof covering of a flat roof can also be damaged during storms. You must also anchor edge and corner zones to the roof floor for flat roofs. You can also put extra weight on your roof by means of tiles or gravel. These materials protect your flat roof against the wind.
Watch your solar panels during storms
The way in which your solar panels are mounted on your roof is important. With a sloping roof, your solar panels are usually attached to the roof construction. This means that a storm does not affect the construction of the solar panels unless your entire roof is blown into the air. With a flat roof, the construction of solar panels is more sensitive to storms, because here the panels are placed in uprights and are not attached to your roof. When installing, an extra ballast is often added to these uprights, so that they cannot come loose and blow away.
Check your roof regularly
Also regularly check the roof truss and your shelter for unwanted animals. Many rodents reside in your roof, but also woodworms can be dangerous for your roof construction. Because they live on wood, they can affect the strength of your roof, causing your roof to blow away more quickly in strong gusts of wind. Also, check immediately for loose and broken roof tiles. In this case, replace them immediately.
Remove excess leaves in time
In the fall, trees lose their leaves and they drift about everywhere. Also on your roof and in your gutter and downspout. If you do not remove these in time, they can cause blockages and even cause water damage to your house in heavy rainfall. Also, at subzero temperatures, the accumulated water can freeze in the gutter or downspout, causing the gutter or downspout to burst. In extreme cases, your roof can even collapse, because the dirt and water cannot escape and accumulate.
Tidy up loose items early
It is also wise to tidy up or secure loose items in the garden so that a storm does not blow them against your roof. Loose branches of trees must also be removed or pruned from the tree.
Do you have good insurance against storm damage?
Prevention is better than cure, but it is always possible that your roof will still be hit by a storm. In this case, you can often rely on your home insurance, which consists of home insurance and home contents insurance. Home insurance ensures damage to the house itself, which means that you often receive partial compensation for storm damage.
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