By Herman Liebenberg – General Manager, Insure City Insurance Brokers

Wintertime in the northern regions of South Africa is generally a dry season. With that in mind, there is no better time to do some maintenance and upkeep on your property, especially when it comes to your roof and trees.

By July, most trees would have shed their leaves, making it the ideal time to trim sketchy branches that might fall on boundary walls or worse. Fallen leaves are also the main cause of clogged gutters, water build-up and leaky roofs – and (seeing that it could have been prevented), is one of the main reasons for roof claim rejections.

While tackling the gutters, make a point of inspecting your roof tiles/screws. Replace broken or cracked tiles, tighten or replace loose screws, and inspect the roof valleys to make sure there is no debris of the odd tennis ball blocking a gutter.

In general, it’s good practice to give the roof a lick of paint every 10-15 years. This way, you may discover vulnerable areas you normally won’t notice. Though a tedious task, particularly when you have to brave the cold, the onus of doing maintenance on your building lies with you.

When not up on the roof, stay safe indoors by checking your gas heaters and stoves. No gas cylinder exceeding 9 kg is to be used indoors. Larger gas cylinders should be mounted and secured outside. Please also make sure your gas installations have valid COCs.

As brokers, it is our responsibility to remind you of these maintenance chores and make sure there are no pitfalls or delays should you need your insurer to settle valid claims timeously and correctly.