While it can often be soothing to hear the patter of rain on your roof, storms in Australia are well known to be fierce and even destructive.

When they hit, your roofing and gutter plumbing system is the first and often hardest hit. If you’ve just experienced a bad storm and want to know how to best check your home plumbing all over, we can help.

Read on for our top tips and things to look out for after an extreme weather event in Port Macquarie.

Assess your visible pipes for damage

The vast majority of plumbing systems are extremely durable and are built to last. However, Australia is known to have incredibly fierce storms that can cause damage to your system.

When heavy rainfall soaks the ground the potential for damage to your plumbing system is high, fixtures and fittings may be ripped out of the ground or dislodged.

Underground pipes can become damaged or even burst from things such as shifting ground and soil and extreme weight and pressure during a storm. When it storms, the saturated ground shifts and it can burst or even bend them out of shape.

Rain and storm damage can also have a detrimental impact upon pipes that are already noticeably old, corroded or damaged. Take the time to walk around your home and double-check your piping to make sure the storm hasn’t caused any further damage and that water isn’t leaking through any cracks to where it is not wanted.

Look for blockages in your gutters and downpipes

Throughout the year, sediment and debris from plants and animals can build up in your gutters and downpipes. When it rains or storms, this debris can get washed into your pipes further down in the system and cause blockages that can back up the entire system.

If you notice overflow coming from your gutters, even after a light to moderate shower or gurgling pipes or slow draining basins inside, you likely have a blockage in your system at some point.

When this happens, you will need to call a professional plumber to help clear out your pipes and gutters. If you attempt to DIY clean out your plumbing you will likely run into further issues that will need to be fixed by a professional. It is usually more viable and efficient to pay a professional to get the job done right the first time.

Check for roof leaks

Roof leaks are most commonly found after storms and bad weather due to severe winds or flying debris that can cause damage. They can also occur due to corroded metal sheet roofing, broken or missing tiles, blocked or overflowing gutters or unsealed flashings, or roof sheets.

The majority of these issues can be avoided by regular plumbing maintenance from a professional, however, sometimes you simply don’t discover that you have a leak until it’s too late. If you do discover a leak you should contact a professional roofing plumber as soon as possible.

Make sure there are no blockages in your storm drainage

It’s relatively easy for your storm drains to become blocked, so regular maintenance is important when it comes to your storm drains. Once it’s safe to do so, check to ensure that your drains are clear of any blockages and that stormwater is running through them, easily.

If there is any debris around any grating, be sure to clear it away and make sure nothing is stuck that would cause a build-up.

If you do notice that your storm drain is blocked, it’s important to get a professional in to clear it out ASAP as storm drains are the main drains that help prevent flooding on your property that can cause serious issues.

Do you have any flooding around your home?

If your property doesn’t have proper drainage, or the drainage was damaged during a storm, you will likely be experiencing flooding that is a real risk to the integrity of your property and its surroundings.

Water that sits around a home’s structure for too long or is continually flooding in specific spots has the capacity to do further damage such as compromising your building foundations or causing water damage, rot, and mold inside your home walls.

If you have water pooling around your property, you likely have damaged pipes somewhere on the property. Get a professional in ASAP to prevent further damage to your home that may end up costing you thousands.

Hire a professional now

If you’re worried about your plumbing system after a storm or you have noticed that something is wrong with your system, you can always get a professional plumber in to take a closer look.

They will be able to undertake a thorough assessment of your plumbing and locate and repair any issues that the storm may have caused.

If you have noticed that your plumbing system is experiencing issues after the last storm, you can get in touch with the team at Carrick Plumbing and Roofing today.

Our experienced plumbers will be able to assess your home for any plumbing damage that may have been caused by the storm and get to work on repairs so that your home is storm-ready once again.