Last year saw some very good rains but this year has been exceptionally wet.
At regular times more than 50mm of rain was received in a single day.
We have just had some rains in Bloemfontein and the surrounding areas which have left the ground thoroughly soaked with open water lying around.
Lawns remain verdant green!
If your building was going to have any roof leak problems, I would suggest that it be fixed by now, though it is possible that there could still be damp problems.
Of course, the rainy season is well behind us now but we could still experience occasional rains during the rainy season.
I would really recommend that now is the right time to do a full building inspection.
Many of you will know of my dread of overgrown trees.
Well, this year they have grown like weeds – my pecan nut tree in the garden has grown its branches by nearly two metres this year!
Trustees could do well to investigate the entire property for overgrown trees that need to be trimmed and to make sure that none are leaning against buildings or walls.
Trees in gardens belonging to individual units should be attended to by those owners – after all they planted these trees or left them to grow.
It might be a good idea to have one contractor remove/trim the problem trees and share the cost if owners don’t have the time to do it for themselves.
But do it they must.
The cost of removing whole trees can be expensive but trimming must be seen as maintenance.
Also, check for damp in walls caused by overgrown flower beds – the best way is to ask owners and tenants to report any serious damp problems.
It’s also advisable to buy a set of drain rods and clear your drains, especially stormwater drains that can easily be blocked with soil or sand.
Check for water leaks as these could have been hidden by the wet conditions that we have experienced.
- Mike Spencer is the founder and owner of Platinum Global. He is also a professional associated property valuer and consultant with work across the country as well as Eastern Europe and Australia.