The severe hail storm that hit Blacktown, Baulkham Hills and Hornsby a few days ago resulted in three thousand calls to the SES for help, eight thousand insurance claims - and sixty five million dollars in damage - and still counting !
Analysis of the damage reveals a lot of damaged cars caught in the open, but the main loss is associated with roof damage. Not only will there be a huge bill for roof repair, but water entry wrecked appliances like sound systems and wide screen TV's and ruined carpets. In many cases, saturated plaster ceilings collapsed, adding to the loss.
Storms containing destructive cells that produce hail as big as cricket balls are becoming more common - and if the global warming predictions are correct - we will see more of them in the years ahead on a more frequent basis.
It is time the building industry had a long, hard look at the materials we have been using for roofing for centuries. Clay roof tiles were in use when the pyramids were under construction - and they have served us well. There are instances in Europe where such tiles are still in good condition centuries later.
The problem is that clay roof tiles do not withstand large hail - and what is needed now is for the building supply industry to use it's ingenuity to develop a way to protect the millions of tile roofs in this country from the coming hail storms.
Many new houses in recent times have abandoned tiles in favour of metal sheeting. This will be badly dented by large hail, but it will prevent water entry - and it is cheaper to replace than damaged tiles - with the added bonus of no interior damage.
What is needed is for building science to develop an overlay that will give clay tiles the strength to resist hail damage. The market is huge, considering the existing stock of homes with clay tile roofing far exceeds that using sheet metal roofing.
Such an addition will not be cheap - but in the long run home owners will need to bite the bullet and protect their roofing - or face an added insurance premium for clay tile roofed homes - and the chance of facing ruin from a storm !
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