Change of season brings about a few essential preventative maintenance tasks to carry on the common property within your strata scheme. Many roof leaks are preventable by carrying out regular maintenance to the roof and gutters.
Roof Maintenance
Cracked or dislodged roof tiles can cause water ingress during wet weather. Older properties also have issues with deteriorating ridge capping mortar which can allow water penetration. Roof repointing is the process of repairing the damaged mortar to prevent water from entering the home.
Metal roofs commonly have issues with rust and corrosion, which is not ideal if you want to prevent water from entering.
Staining on the underside of the ceiling can indicate there’s an issue. If your ceiling shows signs of water ingress and the roof is common, contact the strata council or Strata Manager immediately with photos, and any information about the water ingress.
Gutter cleaning
It is recommended that all gutters are regularly cleaned. Gutters assist in directing rain away from homes. If gutters are blocked, it causes the water to get trapped, and then penetrate back into the roof. Not carrying out regular gutter cleaning can result in rusted gutters, water damaged eaves and, subsequently, expensive repairs and replacements.
Now that most of the autumn leaves have fallen it would be an ideal time to schedule a gutter cleaning service before heavy rain sets in.
Don’t forget trees
It is a good idea to consider regular pruning and maintenance to trees on the common property around your scheme. Particularly for large trees or ones known for dropping branches, such as gum trees. If you are concerned about a tree on the common property, the strata company should look at getting an arborist to inspect the trees. The arborist should inspect the trees periodically to identify any potential issues.
Some owners get confused when we advise them that their insurance policy does not cover circumstances where they have failed to maintain their property, or that the policy excludes general wear and tear items. Properties must be well maintained and cared for.
Check your budget to see if you have included these items, if funds allow and the areas are common property, consider looking further into the above.
