Stormwater

Homes without Gutters and Downpipes

Stormwater management in the form of gutters and downpipes or perimeter paving is essential. This protects every home’s foundation and structure.

If you are like many homeowners, you have probably wondered why some houses have no gutters and downpipes to protect against stormwater damage. You may have wished your home had none because of the cleaning and maintenance issues.

Gutters and downpipes are not required by law on a sloping roof. Many modern homes have none, even in instances where they would benefit from having them. There are alternatives that architects sometimes prefer such as concrete paving around the perimeter of your house.

To decide whether rainwater gutters and downpipes are necessary for your home, it is best to see what the building regulations require.

The Building Regulations do not require roof gutters and downpipes if another suitable means of drainage has been provided. This is to remove or disperse rainwater from the roof away from your home.

However, the Building Regulations do require that any stormwater that flows from your roof or any area near your home must not cause damage to the interior of the building, its structure or its structural elements. The regulations require steps to ensure that stormwater does not accumulate. This is to avoid “undue inconvenience” to you as the occupant of your home.

Furthermore, the system used must:

not undercut the foundations by erosion or flooding
drain stormwater away from your home
not allow stormwater to accumulate against or close to the external walls
make provision for the drainage of any areas on the property where water pools
be capable of being easily maintained and cleaned

12/07/201830/01/2025

Trees and Your Home

Tree Damage:

trees and shrubs
close to your home and clay soils can cause serious damage

Trees and large shrubs can cause major damage to your home, garden and boundary walls. This is especially true on the Witwatersrand where most areas and soils have some clay content. Without care and control, they may cost you a lot of money and no small amount of effort to fix.

Furthermore, shrubs should not be planted too close to the masonry walls either. The building regulations specify a minimum distance of 1,2 m for normal soils and 1,5 m if you have clayey soil.

Roots

Roots can also grow beneath your foundation footings, lift them or leach water from the ground beneath your house during dry spells and sink or settle the house unevenly.

They will cause the soil to dry out and in the case of clay soils, cause soil shrinkage.

Excessive watering or extended rain periods will cause the clay to swell. Subsequently, trees and large shrubs can cause movement in clay soils and damage your home and walls.

The movement amount depends on the percentage of clay content, the depth and extent of the root system and the efficiency of the roots to extract moisture from the soil.

When underground sewer and water pipes develop small leaks, roots quickly take advantage of those leaks. Before you realise it you have a blocked sewer line and pools of water and sewage in your yard.

What not to plant

All trees should be regarded as a potential source of damage. The following varieties are, however, particularly prone to causing damage:

13/06/201802/10/2024

Winter Home Maintenance

Winter Home Maintenance in Gauteng

A roof inspection of your roof is most important because it protects you against the elements.

Maintain your home, especially the roof, on an annual basis. If you don’t do the small repairs they could end up as expensive repairs.

The roof

Your roof is the most important component of your home, protecting you, your belongings and the structure of the building. Damage to the roof can occur due to rain, wind and hail. You should regularly check the roof of your home for any leaks. Also inspect the ceiling, walls and the area around your home for any water spots, standing water or mould. Dampness on ceilings or walls can mean that there are leaks that you will have to attend to.

Check the chimney

Loose flashings, damaged masonry and loose bricks will allow rainwater in a house. Be sure to give the area around the chimney an inspection to ensure everything is fine. Refit loose flashing or replace as necessary. Furthermore, chisel out the damaged mortar joints, rejoint, and also repair loose bricks.

Loose, dislodged or broken roof tiles or ridge caps

If you have the ladder long enough, inspect the roof for loose or crumbling mortar along the ridge cap. At the same time, check for cracked or damaged roof tiles while you’re up there. However, if you do discover problems and can’t deal with it yourself, call in a professional roofing contractor.