In June 2018, to test Stormseal’s weather resistance under the most extreme natural conditions we could access, we installed it on the roof of a hut high in the Swiss Alps.
With the end of the European winter approaching, Andrew Markopoulos, Operations Director for Stormseal Industries, returned to Zermatt – a resort village close to the Swiss-Italian border and the iconic Matterhorn mountain – to discover how Stormseal coped with months of wild wind, snow and ice.
One of the locals who assisted with the installation explained the experiment and the outcome…
‘When Stormseal approached us regarding this test, I suggested installing the film on the highest, most exposed hut we have: on Gobba di Rollin mountain,’ said Florian Perren, Deputy Director of a Division of Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, the biggest cable car and lift company in Switzerland.
‘The hut is at 3,900m [12,700 ft] altitude. Its roof was damaged, so I was happy that it would be covered. When I saw the Stormseal installation, it looked very professional, despite the difficult conditions.
‘The film seemed really stable and robust. Even after exposure to strong sunlight last summer, the film did not become brittle, and when we checked it after the first storm, it was completely intact.
‘This winter has been exceptionally stormy,’ Florren said. ‘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.
‘We were impressed by how long it lasted. In an extremely exposed location, through severe winds and ice crystal attack, Stormseal survived for a total of seven months,’ Florren reported. ‘If it had been installed at a lower altitude – only 200m down – we are convinced it would have lasted for much longer. It’s a very good product that we recommend to all.’
‘We’re proud of this result,’ said Andrew. ‘This exercise has tested Stormseal’s extreme limits and demonstrated that it’s a truly outstanding product.’
Back in Australia, when installed on damaged roofs, Stormseal has proven to resist all weather for up to a year, while storm victims wait for insurance payouts and permanent repairs. The alternative is tarps, which fail repeatedly, increasing property damage and suffering for residents. Not only is Stormseal superior, it’s also cheaper than tarps.
So whether you live at high or low altitude, if you want the best possible weather protection for your storm-damaged property, tell your insurer to install Stormseal.
