22 February 2005
IThe extreme storms battering Australia's capital cities with the capacity to turn a garden chair or loose piece of roofing iron into a deadly missile should lead to a national storm planning awareness program for Australian home owners.
Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, has found roof areas as the most dominant area damaged during a storm.
Archicentre's pre-purchase inspection statistics of over 65,000 homes nationally show in New South Wales 31% of all homes inspected have existing roof defects. The roofing faults statistics in other states include Victoria 53%, Queensland 32%, South Australia 42%, Western Australia 32% and Tasmania 39%.
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Mr David Lawrence, State Manager of Archicentre NSW & ACT said: "The frequency of the storms and the high level of damage means that we must consider storms with high winds, lightning, excessive rain and hailstones in the same context as bushfires." "We do a lot
of planning for bushfires and have bushfire resistant design guidelines
for building, and we develop fire escape plans." "But when it comes to storms many people have not taken basic safety precautions to ensure their own safety or that of their neighbours." |
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With a major storm forecast warning people should plan to:
* Make sure guttering,
downpipes and site drainage is clear
* Move the car under
cover for protection against hailstone damage.
* If no under cover
protection for cars park the car well away from trees to avoid damage from falling
branches.
* Secure or store loose
items around the home, garden and balcony including outdoor furniture - deck
chairs, plastic furniture, and umbrellas.
* Unplug computers and
appliances.
* Avoid using the telephone
during the storm.
* Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors.
If outdoors during
a storm:
* Keep clear of fallen
power lines
* Stay away from creeks and storm drains
* Don't walk, ride your bike or drive through flood water.
All homes should have a designated storm plan if an incident occurs with clear directions for children and adults in the house.
Mr Lawrence said just the basics of having a torch charged and ready to be used can be a major life saver especially if the storm hits at night.
"Planning for a storm should also take into account the clean up procedure especially after a home has been water damaged. If the clean-up process is rushed and the building is not properly dried out the home owner can face the expensive task of repairing the home a second time."
"In the past our Archicentre architects have seen homes where new carpets have been laid on wet concrete resulting in them having to be replaced or painting being undertaken whilst water laden fibre glass batts were still in the wall."
Over the last twelve months thousand of homes have been damaged in storms with the situation being made worse by many home owners not undertaking regular maintenance.
According to Mr Lawrence, the very best defence against your home being damaged or people being injured during a storm is in the planning by identifying and removing hazards immediately.
For more information on dealing with flooding and home maintenance visit www.archicentre.com.au
