South East Queenslanders should get cracking to protect their homes from storm damage, with more than half admitting they don’t clear their gutters and two-thirds revealing they don’t get their roofs checked*.
NRMA Insurance Queensland State Manager Brett Robinson said severe storms were a part of life in South East Queensland and that residents need to prepare.
“Our research shows more than 50% of households don’t clear their gutters and only a third check their roofs for leaks, which increases the risk of internal water damage from severe storms,” he said.
“NRMA Insurance claims research shows around one in four storm-related claims is a result of internal water damage.
“Water damage is an extreme inconvenience for households and often a result of poor maintenance, such as blocked gutters and drains and deteriorated roofing.
”Alarmingly, of those households that had experienced storm damage, nearly half still did not take any preventive measures afterwards.
“While we can’t control the weather, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of damage to your property,” Mr Robinson said.
Top five things you can do to protect your home this storm season:
- get your roof checked for any damage or corrosion
- clear leaves and other debris from gutters, downpipes and drains so water can get away as quickly as possible
- get shade sails and awnings professionally fitted to prevent them tearing off
- ask the council or energy company to check trees that may pose a threat to your property or powerlines
- check you have adequate home, building and contents insurance and update accordingly
*Research based on a survey of 1000 Australian households by Woolcott Research on behalf of NRMA Insurance, May 2005
