Make sure your home can weather any storm

While the summer air in South Africa is filled with the beautiful scent of new blooms and thunderstorms, home owners are encouraged to do a maintenance check-up to ensure their home can stand up to extreme weather conditions.

“Over the past few years SA has suffered the effects of extreme weather on a more regular basis.

“Damage from severe storms, floods and lightning strikes have become regular features on the insurance claims roll.

“There are some important pointers to take heed of to make sure you won’t be left counting the cost when the next big storm strikes,” explained Mandy Barrett of insurance brokers, Aon South Africa.

“Storms and lightning strikes can leave significant damages in their wake so it’s important to take steps to ensure your household maintenance and lightning protection will see you through these forces of nature.

“Even though most standard home insurance policies cover damage to all insured structures resulting from lightning, storm and flood damage subject to varying limits and excesses, remember that your claims will be settled within the coverage limits, exclusions and provisions of your policy.”

An example of this is if your policy stipulates that you must have surge protection in place and you renege on getting this done. Any claims damages to electrical circuitry, fixtures and appliances could be rejected because you have not complied with the policy provision for surge protection.

Likewise, if your gutters are not properly maintained or fully functioning and you suffer water damage to your ceilings as a direct result of this, you could be prejudiced in the event of a claim.

Here are a few important tips to protect both your home and office:

• Always switch off and unplug electrical appliances during a storm.
• Install lightning surge protectors at all plug points, especially where you have expensive and important equipment plugged in.

This is not only to protect the equipment, but also any person who may be using the equipment at the time of a lightning strike or power surge.

• Where required, install a lightning conductor in the form of a freestanding mast for thatch roofs. These must be SABS approved and installed by a qualified person. The combustible properties of thatch in areas with high lightning density pose serious fire hazards.
• Make sure all your gutters are clean and free of debris or blockages so they can allow for maximum drainage during a heavy downpour.
• Inspect your roof each year for leaks and damage to prevent water damage to ceilings.
• Inspect any surrounding trees and remove any dead branches which could cause damage if they fell on your property, vehicle or even worse, a person.