Victorians have been advised by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) to keep their house gutters clear to avoid water flooding their home this wet winter.
Reminding homeowners and renters to regularly clear their gutters, State Building Surveyor at VBA, Andrew Cialini said non-compliant roof plumbing was the leading cause of most plumbing issues.
“Non-compliant roof plumbing increases the risk of leaves and debris getting stuck in gutters and downpipes, which has the risk of leading to flooding,” Mr Cialini said.
“While clearing gutters is not regulated plumbing work, any clearing of blockages that requires the gutter or downpipe to be detached or altered must be carried out by a licensed or registered plumber,” he said.
“Trapped wet leaves that sit in guttering also have the potential to lead to surface damage and corrosion, with leaks making the guttering ineffective.”
Mr Cialini said rectifying installation issues at the outset would reduce the risk of property damage, but blocked gutters needed to be regularly cleaned and maintained, and corroded or damaged sections replaced.
He said owner-builders also needed to make sure that all roofing was installed by a registered or licensed plumber who also issued a compliance certificate for the work.
“Installation and replacement of guttering and most roofing components must be carried out by a suitably registered or licensed plumber and where works cost more than $750 a compliance certificate must be issued at the completion of the works,” the State Building Surveyor said.
