Maintaining your stormwater system

Since the dawn of time, our homes have been built to protect and shelter us from the elements. While we may have a number of creature comforts that our ancient ancestors didn’t, the base concept of shelter remains. Part of keeping us sheltered involves keeping our homes watertight with effective storm water management systems. If storm water systems aren’t maintained components can fail, with rusty box gutters becoming ineffective as a prime example. So how do we minimise the chance of water getting into our homes?

Box gutters are becoming commonplace in modern homes, as they are an effective way of removing rainwater from our roofs without affecting the home’s look. Able to be concealed behind parapet walls or in between two low lying sections of roofing, a concealed box gutter combined with the right waterstops will form a solid foundation of a home’s waterproofing system.

Before looking at reducing the risk of water get in, we must first understand why we need to keep it out. Short of keeping the inhabitants dry, water can cause serious damage to major structural components of our homes. Wooden frames can warp, leading to roofs and walls collapsing. Concrete can become brittle, taking the structural integrity out of suspended slabs or other support structures. Needless to say, should any of these instances occur there is a high chance of serious injury to the inhabitants. It is for this reason that routine maintenance of our homes is vital.

Maintaining our box gutters can be challenging due to the height they are at, but the process is not. Key to keeping box gutters working efficiently is ensuring that they are clean. Dirt, leaves, branches and other particles can affect the metal of a box gutter, leading to oxidisation and rust. Once a section of box gutter has rusted, it becomes compromised and may leak. This can lead to water entering the roof space of a home, or place additional strain on other waterproofing elements.

Many professional contractors will perform maintenance on home stormwater systems, bringing with them the experience to also identify other components that may fail. While there is generally a cost involved, it will be marginal compared with the cost of a structural repair.