From October to March, South East Queensland gets its storms: strong, sudden winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail. A well-built patio or carport is engineered for the wind at your address. A few checks before the season, and a few minutes when a storm is coming, help it do its job.
Before the season
- Clean the gutters and downpipes. A blocked gutter overflows in the first heavy storm and can push water back under the roof sheets or against the house.
- Look at the gutter between a flyover and the house roof. Leaves collect there.
- Check the post bases. Soil, mulch or pavers built up against a post hold moisture against the steel. Clear them back.
- Look for loose or missing screws, lifted sheet edges and loose flashings. Do this from a ladder at the edge, not by walking on the roof.
- Trim branches that hang over the roof or could fall on it.
- Check that downpipes are still connected to the stormwater line and not just discharging against the house.
Shade sails and blinds
Shade sails catch the wind like a real sail. Take them down for the storm season, or at least when a severe storm warning is issued. Outdoor blinds and track-guided screens should be rolled up in strong wind unless the maker says they are rated for it. A blind down in a storm turns an open patio into a wall the wind can push against.
Louvred roofs
Check that the rain sensor works and the built-in gutters are clear. In a storm, follow the maker’s instructions for very high winds. Keep the remote or the app where you can find it.
When a storm is coming
- Bring in or tie down outdoor furniture, umbrellas and pot plants. Loose items do more damage than wind on the roof itself.
- Close and secure louvres as the maker recommends, and roll up blinds.
- Move the car under the carport if there is a hail warning, but not if you have to drive in the storm to do it.
- Stay inside, away from windows, during the storm itself.
After the storm
- Look before you touch. Check for fallen power lines, and stay clear of anything near them.
- Look at the roof from the ground: lifted sheets, bent gutters, missing flashings, or anything fallen on it.
- Do not climb on a wet roof or a damaged structure.
- Photograph any damage, with the date, before anything is moved or repaired. Your insurer will want it.
- Check for water ponding on the roof or the slab, which can show a blocked gutter or downpipe.
Hail
Big hail can dent steel roofing, gutters and the tops of posts. Colorbond steel is tough, and insulated panels have a steel face top and bottom, but a severe hail storm can still mark any roof. A dent is mostly a looks problem unless it has cracked the paint or let water sit. If you have hail damage, photograph it and talk to your insurer first.
Why the engineering matters
Every patio and carport we build is designed for the wind classification at your address, worked out from the region, the terrain, how sheltered the block is and the slope. Freestanding roofs and carports open on several sides are designed for the uplift under them, with footings and tie-downs to suit. That is the real storm protection, and it is part of the building approval.
Older and unapproved structures
A patio or carport built years ago without engineering, or with small footings, is the one most likely to fail in a storm. Signs to look for: posts that move when you push them, rust at the post base, a sagging beam, or a roof fixed only to the fascia board. If yours has any of these, have it looked at before the season, not after.
If you need help
If storm damage has left your patio or carport unsafe, keep clear of it and contact your insurer. For a replacement, we can measure up, design a new structure engineered for your site and handle the approval.
Trees and the roof
Most storm damage we see on patios and carports comes from branches, not wind on the roof itself. A large tree beside the structure can drop a limb that no roof is designed to stop. Have an arborist look at big trees near the house before the season, and keep gutters under trees on a more frequent cleaning routine.