Storm damage to your roof: better to prevent than to cure!

Regularly check the condition of your roof and chimney

It is best to check your roof twice a year. This can be done very easily:

Make sure to check if there are any loose roof tiles. Loose roof tiles should be secured immediately. Broken or cracked roof tiles should also be replaced or repaired as soon as possible. When all roof tiles are correctly placed, the wind can much more difficultly blow under the roof. This significantly reduces the chance of severe storm damage.

For sloping roofs, it is best to ensure that roof tiles in the edge zones (the ridge, gable ends, and eaves) are anchored according to the correct regulations. This means that you should use the anchoring materials specifically developed for your type of roof tile.

The roofing of flat roofs can also suffer damage during stormy weather. Just like with sloping roofs, you need to ensure that edge and corner zones are properly anchored to the roof. For a flat roof, you can also add extra weight using tiles or gravel. This will make your roof less likely to come loose.

Don't feel comfortable climbing onto your roof yourself? Then enlist professional help and have a roofer check your roof and chimney for any loose or broken roof tiles!

Install lightning rods on your roof and in sockets

Especially if you live in a very open area, it can be useful to install a lightning rod on your roof. This way, you can prevent lightning from striking the roof or chimney.

Regularly clean the gutters and downspouts

In the autumn, trees lose their leaves, and these swirl around everywhere. When leaves and other debris end up in the gutters and downspouts, they can become clogged. During heavy rain, these leaves and other debris can become quite heavy, increasing the chance of your gutters and downspouts coming loose, falling, or blowing away.

Check whether your solar panels, masts, and antennas are securely fastened

Do you have solar panels on your roof? Good! This is definitely a sustainable investment. In case of strong wind and/or rainy weather, it is best to check in advance whether all solar panels and other objects on the roof, such as antennas, are securely fastened.

On a sloping roof, solar panels are usually attached to the roof structure. Normally, they are securely fastened so that possible stormy weather will not damage your solar panels. On a flat roof, however, the construction of solar panels is much more sensitive to stormy weather, as solar panels on a flat roof are usually not attached to the roof structure itself.

Remove dead and loose branches from nearby trees

A very typical cause of storm damage is branches, or even entire trees, falling onto the roof of a house. During strong winds and rain, these can unfortunately cause serious damage. Fortunately, you can easily prevent this by simply removing all dead and loose branches and leaves from trees near your home. Especially in the autumn and winter, it is useful to do this from time to time.

Furthermore, it is also smart to bring in loose objects and items such as garbage bins, toys, garden furniture, and the like.