Items mounted on your roof or walls must be securely fastened to the structure. This avoids any debris becoming wind-borne in strong winds.

It's important to make sure you regularly check:

• air-conditioners,
• aerials and satellite dishes
• flues
• whirly birds
• hot water systems
• solar panels
• awnings 
• vents.

Check the fixing of these items for signs of corrosion. You can reduce the risks of damage during strong winds by replacing bolts and brackets that have signs of deterioration.

It is important to regularly check the structures around and attached to your house. Maintaining these structures is an important as regularly servicing your car.

The resilience of your home may be impacted if important elements have corroded, rotted, or deteriorated. These should be repaired or replaced.

Many building materials deteriorate over time. Steel elements can corrode, and timber can be affected by wood rot or insects. The rate of this deterioration can change depending on where you live and how your house was built.

You should check the condition of sheds, garages, fences, pergolas, patios, verandas and carports.

You should:

• Check for rust on metal roofing and battens, bolts, screws, nails, fixing bolts and plates, and batten straps.
• Check and upgrade tie-down connections of structures.
• Ensure that sheds are securely tied-down to the ground or foundations.

There is a higher risk of timber rotting if it is often exposed to moisture, e.g. from a leaking gutter or water pipe. Rotten timber should be replaced.

Timber and termite protection systems should be regularly inspected and maintained. This ensures they provide an effective barrier to termite attack. If termites are detected on your property you should immediately seek expert advice. This may include advice on replacing timber and restoring your termite management system.

Downpipes that flow onto a hard surface near doors or balconies can become a hazard in a cyclone. Water that collects on the hard surface can be blown under doors by cyclonic winds.

Downpipes can be re-routed to discharge further away from your house or can connect to a drainage system.

Roof tiles, ridge capping, and pointing can deteriorate overtime. It may crack and tile clips can dislodge over time. In a cyclone, damaged tiles can become wind-borne debris. This can break glass windows and doors and can damage the walls and roofs of your home and your neighbours'.

Missing tiles or ridge capping can also allow wind-driven rain into your home, which can damage floors, walls, ceiling lining, and your contents. 

You should upgrade your metal roof cladding and flashings. They should meet the minimum requirements of AS 1562.1. If you are replacing a tile roof with a sheet metal roof then the roof structure will also need to be upgraded. This includes needing to strengthen tie-downs as metal roofs are lighter than tiled roofs.

Flashings are thin sheets or strips of water-resistant materials that are installed at the intersections of roofs and walls. They are often metal and can direct rainwater flow away from the building. Flashing should be fasten securely with closely spaced screws, with a maximum spacing of 500mm. Flashings should be securely fastened so they can't be lifted or completely blown of the building by wind. This aligns with AS 1562.1 standards.

There may be openings in your roof cladding for items such as aerials and air conditioners. These edges must be effectively sealed to avoid wind-driven rain entering. Sealant can deteriorate in the sun. If it is cracked or has pulled away from the flashing it should be replaced.

If flashings tear or are lifted from your house then wind-driven rain may enter the building. This can result in plasterboard ceiling getting wet and collapsing. You should ensure flashings are well anchored to the building to minimise the amount of rainwater entering the building.

Building materials deteriorate over time. Steel can corrode, rot and termites can impact timber, or they may be damaged by weather. The rate of decline can also be impacted by the age and location of your home. Even homes built to building code requirements need regular inspection and maintenance.

Resilience can be compromised if important elements have corroded, rotted or deteriorated. Repair or replace any deteriorated items.

Some examples of items you need to check:

• Look on top of the roof and inside the roof space for rust on metal roofing, metal battens, batten straps, fixing bolts, fixing plates, screws, nails, etc.
• Check the condition of the eaves linings for signs of damage.

There is a higher risk of timber rotting if it is often exposed to moisture, for example, from a leaking gutter or water pipe. Rotten timber should be replaced.

Timber and termite protection systems should be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure they provide an effective barrier to termite attack.  If termites have been detected in your property, seek expert advice on replacing the timber and restoring the termite management system.

Openings in the building envelope (windows and doors) have seals to be almost air-tight when closed. If these seals are water resistant they can keep out wind-driven rainwater.

You should check the seals on windows, glass sliding doors and swinging doors regularly. If they are worn or damaged (broken, torn or misshapen) you should repair or replace them. Swinging doors should have seals at the bottom, sides and top.

Regularly inspecting and maintaining your home is critical to reducing the risk of damage during a cyclone.

Building materials can deteriorate over time. This includes both metal and wood elements. These can be preserved by paint and other protective coatings.

Flashings are thin sheets or strips of water-resistant materials. They are installed at the intersections of roofs or walls and around windows and doors. They help to direct rainwater flow away from the building. Flashings must be fastened securely with closely spaced screws. The maximum spacing for screws is 500 mm for most flashings. This is outlined in AS 1562.1, the Australian Standard for the design and installation of metal roof and wall cladding. They should be secured so they can’t be lifted or blown off your home by wind.

Penetrations and openings in the roof cladding can create edges that must be sealed. This includes openings for aerials, air conditioners, skylights, and whirly birds. This will help seal against wind-driven rainwater in storms and tropical cyclones.

Where flashings tear or are lifted from the building, then wind-driven rain can enter the building. This means plasterboard ceilings can get wet and potentially collapse. Ensuring that the flashings are well anchored to the building can help minimise the amount of rainwater entering the building.

Bolts and screws are vital in the tie-down chain. However they can become loose or corroded and timber elements can rot if they are wet. This can increase the risk of them failing during a cyclone. Regularly checking these and maintaining them is important to reduce the risk of damage to your house.

You should engage a builder to check that your roof cladding and structure are securely connected. If needed you should consider upgrading your roof cladding and structure to meet current building standards. This is particularly important for houses built before the mid-1980s.

Mitigation actions depend on the material used for the roof cladding (e.g., sheet metal or tiles) and the roof structure (timber or steel, frame or truss).

General maintenance activities include:

• tightening bolts and screws
• Reapplying protective coatings to metal and timber
• Replacing any elements that have broken, been incorrectly installed or have deteriorated 

Leaves and other vegetation can build up in gutters. During a cyclone, blocked gutters can allow rainwater to overflow into eaves. This can damage eaves linings or flow inside the house and damage internal walls.

You should make sure that gutters, rainheads, downpipes and overflows are free of debris. Before a storm, check they're flowing correctly. 

Reinforce your gutters by installing gutter clips at closer spacings than specified by the manufacturer.

Gutters are clipped onto the edge of your roof. Extreme wind loads can unclip gutters and cause flailing. This can damage the rest of the building and lead to concentrations of rainwater that can get past flashings and cladding and enter the roof space.