Brisbane storm season runs roughly from October through March, and the damage it does to a house exterior is rarely the dramatic kind. It is mostly water going somewhere it was not meant to, because something upstream was blocked. Most of that is preventable in a single visit before the season starts.
Gutters are the whole game
A Brisbane storm can drop more rain in twenty minutes than a British winter week. Guttering is sized for that, but only if it is clear. A gutter half full of leaf litter and roof grit has a fraction of its rated capacity, and when it overflows the water does not politely run to the ground. It goes over the back edge, behind the fascia, and into the eaves.
That is the origin of most of the ceiling stains people discover in November and assume are a roof leak. The roof is usually fine. The gutter was full.
Valleys matter as much as the gutters themselves. A blocked valley concentrates an enormous volume of water into one point and pushes it sideways under the tiles.
Downpipes and the bit nobody checks
Clearing gutters without checking the downpipes solves half the problem. Debris flushed out of the gutter goes straight into the downpipe, and a blocked downpipe backs the whole system up regardless of how clean the gutter looks.
The same goes for whatever the downpipe discharges into. A stormwater grate choked with leaf litter will hold water against the base of the wall through the whole storm.
Roof growth is not just cosmetic before a storm
Lichen and moss on tiles hold water and slow drainage across the roof surface. On a marginal-pitch roof that can be enough to let water track under the laps during driving rain. Moss growing into the laps themselves acts as a wick.
Cleaning the roof before storm season is partly about how it looks and partly about giving water a clear, fast path off the building. If you have a tile roof, our guide on how tile and metal roofs should each be cleaned is worth a read first.
Do it before, not after
Everyone rings after the first big storm. That is the wrong time for two reasons. The damage has already happened, and every roof and gutter contractor in Brisbane has a three-week backlog.
September and early October is the window. The weather is settled enough to work safely at height, and it is ahead of the rush.
What a pre-season visit covers
Gutters and valleys cleared, downpipes flushed and checked for flow, roof growth treated, and a look over the obvious failure points, perished screw washers on metal roofs, cracked or slipped tiles, and any spot where previous water tracking has left a mark.
We do pre-season roof and gutter work across Brisbane through September and October. If your home has mature trees anywhere near the roofline, it is worth booking early.
