The last few decades have shown that storms are becoming more frequent and violent, and the number of insured claims has increased dramatically. Every year, in every city, there are warnings about storms that can cause major damage. Falling parts fall onto cars or buildings and homeowners are not always aware that they are partly to blame if they do not take precautions.
If something falls off your building during a storm and causes damage, you may have to pay yourself if you haven’t taken sufficient care of the security of your building – even if you have insurance.
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The condition of the building must be checked annually!
1. The proper maintenance of a building requires a regular check of the structural condition of the building for all dangers that can be expected based on life experience.
2. The intensity and frequency depend in particular on the location and use of the building and the susceptibility of its construction to damage. If the building is in a location with frequent strong storms and hurricanes, the buildings and roofs must be checked at least once a year to ensure they are sufficiently storm-proof.
3. A visual inspection of the roof when repairing a roof window does not suffice for the required regular inspection of the structural condition of the roof.
Have your roof checked by a professional
Every year, roofing companies like Eldorado remind homeowners to have their roofs checked in preparation for a storm or the rainy season.
Caution! Anyone who thinks that a quick check by a craftsman is sufficient is wrong. A specialist must take a close look at and walk through the entire roof and check, for example, the brackets and mortar.
Recommendation: If you have not complied with the duty of care, you have to reckon with the fact that the insurance company can refuse to pay in the event of damage.
Increased requirements for wind suction protection of roofs
The legislature and the ZVDH (Central Association of the German Roofing Trade) have defined the wind loads to be expected for each region in Germany and the DIN regulations and the rules of the ZVDH are geared towards roofs with roof tiles or concrete roofing being covered with a larger number of storm clips (photo ) must be secured against wind suction.
In addition, the roof edges have to be divided into areas and, overall, more extensive calculations have to be carried out than before. Buildings in exposed locations, buildings with a height of more than 25 m or hall roofs must be designed by a specialist planner. Responsible homeowners should definitely observe the regulations and have the storm safety of their roofs checked regularly by a specialist. In the event of damage, for example, due to falling roof tiles, there is even a risk of loss of insurance cover.