Q: My roof has not leaked for years, but the heavy downpour a few Mondays ago certainly showed I have a leak. Could it be something to do with the wind direction?
A: Peter you have hit the nail on the head. There were plenty of roof leaks that Monday when a black south-easter brought rain from an unusual direction. You were not alone, and my phone was ringing off the hook.
Most roofing materials, especially sheeting, can be fixed one way only, and that is into the prevailing weather. Our prevailing rainy weather in Cape Town comes from the north-west, so when we get rain on the south-easter we are all at risk.
Of course, it might not just be a roofing problem because when the rain switches direction it will find cracks, rotten window frames and so on which would not usually receive driven rain. Any leak should be taken as a warning, especially with winter on the way, so check you are ready for heavy winter downpours.
Howling south-easters, even without rain, may have caused unseen damage on your roof, which will become evident only once the winter rain arrives.
*If you have a question for Don, send it to [email protected] or SMS only to 0824463859.