Heavy rains could result in damage to property and vehicles

Heavy rains being experienced in parts of the country could likely result in damage to property and vehicles. It’s vital that people take the right precautions and ascertain that you’re covered for impairments that might possibly take place.

Home and car owners can spare themselves the burden of battling it out with the insurance companies and mitigate claim rejections or partial settlements due to underinsurance as well as weather-related damages by familiarising themselves with claims processes.

5 Basics for waterproofing your property:

• Look for any debris lying inside the valley flashings and gutters. Have these swept and cleaned off. Also ensure that trees which extend over the roof are trimmed away to avoid falling leaves clogging gutters.
• Ensure that parapet walls or gable walls extending above the roof are sealed and waterproofing is enhanced to prevent water seeping into the roof or house.
• Ensure that the ridge capping tile line (the concave line of tiles at the centre of the roof) is inspected regularly and waterproofed adequately. This could be waterproofed by considering to refill the brittle mortar between the tiles and apply membrane where necessary.
• Inspect for broken or cracked tiles and replace where necessary.
• Ensure that any storm water drainage system in the yard is free of clogging and that storm water can be channelled properly away to avoid any flooding.

5 Basics for your motor vehicle protection:

• Make sure that you park your car in a covered structure to avoid hailstorm damage. With the current heavy rains, also be sure to park your car on high-levelled ground to prevent water from seeping into your car.
• Wax on, wax off. Coating your car in a wax finish not only makes it look extremely shiny but will also offer a layer of protection against the rainy weather.
• Invest in a car cover. In the case you park your car outside a car cover is usually made from waterproof material, which means that water will not get into your car.
• Do not make unnecessary trips when there’s heavy rain, instead find an alternative method of transportation. Frequent driving of your car in the rain wears out the car parts which ultimately means they will rust quickly.
• Plan your trips, look at the navigation apps to review which routes are the best to take when leaving your home as some roads might be flooded.