In December 2018, a devastating hailstorm damaged 33,000 properties in northern Sydney. Berowra was one of the worst-hit suburbs. The storm damage bill rose from $75 million to $1 billion due repeated failures of tarps and other ‘make-safes’. When Stormseal was installed, residents were hugely relieved, with some homes still being protected 16 months later.
On 20 January 2020, a catastrophic storm lasting about ten minutes sent huge hailstones smashing into thousands of vehicles and buildings across Canberra. Insurance claims have since topped $500M. The hailstorm inflicted terrible damage on many iconic institutions and iIrreplaceable treasures and archives of national importance were exposed to the elements. Aussie innovation Stormseal was the answer.
In June 2018, to test Stormseal’s weather resistance under the most extreme natural conditions it was installed on the roof of a hut high in the Swiss Alps. ‘Over several weeks, the wind speed average was over 100 km/h [62 miles/h] and some days up to 200 km/h [124 miles/h]. At the end of January, after many storms, the Stormseal film was still looking good.
For Ryan and Chey Johnson, the happy arrival of their second child was sadly offset by the devastating damage to their Berowra home caused by the December 2018 hailstorm.
‘After the hail wrecked the roof, the wind and rain came,’ said Ryan.
97% of Berowra homes damaged by the hailstorm were ‘made safe’ with tarpaulins, many of which have since failed multiple times.
A massive storm hit the home of Todd and Jo Chapman just before Christmas. “It was frustrating because the insurers kept having to get contractors back to make safe the house again, but they just kept blowing away, letting the rain in,” said Todd. “I would conservatively estimate that the original damage has now increased by 50%.”
When the catastrophic pre-Christmas hail storm hit with hail the size of softballs, David was lucky with his insurer – Youi – which came immediately the next day and arranged for Stormseal to be installed to protect the damage.
“My insurer sent builders to install a tarp the next day, but it was hopeless,” said Marg after a catastrophic hailstorm hit her home. “It kept slipping and flapping and broken tiles kept crashing down, going off like bombs. I couldn’t sleep, and my dog was going crazy. Then my neighbour told me about Stormseal. All the roofers have seen it on her house and they’ve all said that its’ fantastic.”
Sally Edwards was home alone when a catastrophic hailstorm hit her Berowra Heights home on 20 December 2018.
‘The insurance company’s builders came and made patch repairs and installed a tarp with ropes and sandbags. In five weeks, the builders had to come back eight times.
Wilfred’s home, like many others damaged by the October 2018 storm, was given the standard ‘protection’ of a tarp to cover the gaping holes in his roof.
After having his home secured with Stormseal Wilfred noticed an immediate difference. “This is just a different kettle of fish. There’s no noise. There’s no anything. There’s no way in the world any water’s going to get in that. And it looks good. I should get the whole roof covered instead of the tiles.”
We are putting test Stormseal’s weather resistance under the most extreme natural conditions by installing it on the roof of a hut high in the Swiss Alps.