How to Prevent Weather Damage to your Property

Our climate is changing, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Every winter in the UK we are seeing more regular storms, sometimes on a weekly basis, and areas at risk of flooding are now experiencing major floods every 5-10 years, rather than every 50 or 100 years. This puts property at greater risk than ever before, so homeowners and landlords need to consider taking precautions to keep their properties safe or to reduce the potential for damage.

As a landlord it is important to ensure that you take precautions to keep your property safe or to reduce the potential for damage.

Protecting your property against high winds

Secure all fencing

Ask your tenants (or go through your letting agents) to check if the fence panels at the property are secure. If they are already fragile in moderately windy weather, it is unlikely that they will withstand a major storm with high winds. It is always better to take preventative action. Summer is a good time to replace old or loose fence panels, rather than waiting until the damage is done, when the repair bill could be higher.

Trim down your trees

Loose, overhanging or dead branches are a health and safety risk, plus they could damage your property. Flying debris in a storm is a major hazard and in some circumstances can lead to fatal accidents. It is also yours or your tenant’s right to be able to trim neighbours’ overhanging trees, although you should politely ask for permission first. For any trees at height or where you don’t feel confident doing the work yourself, contact a tree surgeon.

Put garden accessories away

This will very much be your tenant’s responsibility, but if high winds are forecast they should try to secure any outdoor items that are at risk of being blown away or have the potential to cause damage to other properties or people. This might include garden furniture, children’s play equipment, barbeques or potted plants.

Check on your roof tiles and cladding

Strong winds will prey on any loose tiles – and be the first casualties of any storm. Check for any tiles that may be on the ground already, and do a visual inspection of your roof. Are there any missing tiles? Loose cladding will be vulnerable to strong winds too. Get a roofer to check the state of your roof at least once a year, if not twice.

Preparing yourself for potential flooding

Some properties will be at more risk of flooding than others. By checking the flood risk for your property, you can see what the risk is from rivers, the sea, surface water, reservoirs or groundwater.

Sandbags and barriers

If your property is at very high risk of flooding, and significant rainfall is expected, arrange for sandbags to be put down outside the property at ground level, especially where doors, windows and air vents are located. Investing in sandbags will be more than justified if they prevent house floods. Temporary flood gates, doors and barriers can be erected outside vulnerable parts of your property, if flood water is expected at a high level.

Using waterproof materials

There are some additional things you can do inside your property to reduce the impact of flooding and bring down the repair bill if the worst happens. Laying ceramic tiles as flooring instead of carpets will save you the cost of replacing a ruined carpet, and you should not need to replace the tiles in the event of a flood (though an inspection of the sub-flooring will probably be required). You can use also waterproof sealant and adhesive around pipes and gaps in bathrooms and kitchens, and waterproof paint inside to prevent water from penetrating the walls.

Raise white goods and electrics

It is worth considering raising appliances like fridges, freezers and dishwashers off the floor so that they are not affected by low levels of floodwater, and making them portable so they can be moved easily in an emergency. Moving electric points to higher positions on the bottom storey of the property is also advisable, especially if the property is in a high risk flood area.

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Preventative measures against storms

Most of the measures for protecting your property against storms will be similar to if high winds are forecast, and some are part of building regulations. For example, the use of RCD surge protectors in domestic electrical circuits is mandatory.

Check your gutters and drains for blockages

Every year leaves and other debris get clogged in gutters, and it always worth getting them cleared on an annual basis. This helps prevent blockages during normal weather, so is even more important with heavier rainfall. Get the drains checked too and clear away any debris which may cause a blockage and problems for your tenants during the winter months.

Protect your goods from hail

No one knows if a storm will contain hail, or where hail will hit, but large hailstones can cause damage to glass or anything that could shatter. If the property has skylights you may want to cover them with shutters, and move any garden furniture inside.

Need help managing your property?

Protecting a property against weather damage is all part of what haart provides as part of our property management service. If you want to know more, get in touch with the friendly team at your local branch, who are always on hand to give help and advice to landlords.