Home Trades

How to prepare your home for La Niña

Family cleaning outside house from rain damage Getty

RACV

Posted September 20, 2021

Victoria may be in for another spring and summer of rain, hail and strong winds. Here’s how to prepare your home for the possible effects of La Niña. 

The Victorian summer of 2022/23 is set to bring more rain, possible floods and cooler than usual daytime temperatures thanks to La Niña, a naturally occurring shift in ocean temperatures and weather patterns along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. 

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) believes this weather pattern is set to hit Australia’s east coast for the third year in a row, with above-average rainfall peaking during springtime. In fact, records show that rainfall is 20 per cent higher than average for December-March during La Niña years, heightening the risk of severe flooding over summer.

So, with more severe weather potentially on the horizon, it’s important to ensure that your home is La Niña ready – and that means undertaking key maintenance jobs in and around the home. 

Remember to take all necessary safety precautions when working at height on a ladder. If you're unsure about your ability to work safely on a ladder, leave home maintenance jobs to trained professionals. 

6 ways to prepare your home for La Niña 

Clean your gutters 

With La Niña set to deliver heavy rain, get prepared by cleaning out your gutters and ensuring that there are no leaves hanging around the roof, as these can clog gutters and cause water overflow.

Don’t forget to clean out downpipes running off gutters, as those need to be in top condition if the gutters are to work effectively. 

Working at height on a ladder can be risky, so be cautious when cleaning out your gutters and ensure that you use safety equipment such as gloves and non-slip shoes. Otherwise, leave gutter cleaning to the professionals at RACV Trades. 

 

Helpful tips to cleaning your gutters at home

Trim overgrown trees 

Trim back overhanging tree branches and remove dangerous trees situated too close to your home. La Niña may bring winds strong enough to uproot trees. 

Clean storm water drains

Storm water drains are essential for allowing excess water to exit your property. Ensure that you clean out blocked storm water drains to reduce your risk of flooding. A blocked storm water drain may be indicated by pools of water forming around your property after heavy rain. 

Check your roof for leaks

If you’ve been in your property for a while, it’s worth checking the state of the roof. Older homes can be prone to roof leaks in heavy rain and hail, especially those that are tiled. This is one job to leave to professionals to ensure that your roof inspection is done safely and effectively. 

Hail falling outside of garage door

With large hail expected, it's important that your roof is structurally sound.  Image: Getty. 

 

Check your window fittings

It’s important to check the integrity of your home's window fittings, as damaged window fittings can allow water to seep into the home. Window fittings constructed from wood can shrink, warp and rot over the years. 

Review your home insurance coverage

Check if your property is at a high risk of flooding and ensure that you have up-to-date home and contents insurance coverage in place.#

With the full impact of La Niña still to come, taking the time now to prepare your home and review your home insurance policy may help mitigate damage and financial loss from severe weather.

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# Unless you have chosen to remove Flood, Rainwater run-off or Storm Surge cover where we have identified your home at risk of flooding.  Other conditions apply including that damage caused by actions of the sea is not covered. 

RACV Home and Contents Insurance is issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Limited ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678. This is general advice only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs (“your personal circumstances”). Before using this advice to decide whether to purchase a product, you should consider your personal circumstances, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination. For a copy call 13 RACV (13 7228).