After windy weather: record visible changes safely

Wait until observation is appropriate

A cleaning enquiry should never be a reason to investigate a building while dangerous weather is continuing. The Met Office's storm advice says to avoid repairing damage during a storm and warns about weakened structures and fallen cables afterwards. Follow current official advice for the conditions. The steps here concern later observations from a position you already know is safe, not an instruction to inspect a roof.

Once it is appropriate, keep the task modest. You are trying to explain a visible change, not prove its cause. “This section appears to hang lower than before” or “there is debris beside the rear wall” is useful. “The gutter bracket has failed” may be an unsupported conclusion if all you have is a view from across the garden. Accurate uncertainty gives the next person better information than a guess presented as fact.

Compare with what you already know

If you have an earlier photograph or a household maintenance note, use it to establish the location and whether the appearance is new. You do not need matching professional photographs. A simple description of the front elevation, rear extension or side passage can be enough. Avoid stepping into an unfamiliar or obstructed area just to reproduce an old angle.

Keep a distinction between an observed change and a longstanding feature. A mark that has been visible for months should not automatically be attributed to the latest weather. Equally, a newly loose-looking component should not disappear into a general request to clean the windows. Your enquiry can include both, but they need different responses.

• Name the affected side of the building and the particular window or roofline section.
• Say what appears different, using plain descriptions rather than a diagnosis.
• Note any area you have stopped using because of the concern.
• Mention access changes such as fallen branches, a damaged gate or a blocked passage.
• State whether a repair professional has already been contacted or work is planned.

Choose the right next conversation

Routine dirt on accessible glass can be discussed through the normal window-cleaning route. Debris in an otherwise serviceable gutter may lead to a gutter-clearing enquiry. A visibly loose component, cracked glazing or water entering a building needs a separate repair assessment. A cleaner cannot promise to establish every underlying defect or make a damaged assembly sound by cleaning it.

Imagine, for example, that a homeowner sees leaves around a low gutter and notices that a nearby downpipe appears detached. The useful brief includes both observations. It does not request “a gutter clean to fix the pipe”. The clearing scope and the repair question can then be considered distinctly, with any necessary sequencing agreed before work starts. This is a hypothetical planning example, not a report of a customer job.

Explain access changes before a visit

A route that was available at the last appointment may no longer be available. Tell the cleaner if the side gate cannot open normally, a section of garden is cordoned off or another contractor is using the approach. You do not need to decide the cleaner's method. You do need to avoid leaving them to discover a known change when they arrive.

If the work concerns a roof window, use its location and any available product information to make the enquiry specific. The skylight and roof-window cleaning page is the relevant service starting point. Do not attempt to reach a roof window or operate unfamiliar hardware merely to obtain a photograph for an enquiry.

Keep the record factual

Save a short account of what you noticed and any response you received. If a specialist assesses the concern, keep that information with the property record so later cleaning requests can use the confirmed position. There is no need to turn a brief observation into a technical report.

The most useful outcome is a clear next step: an ordinary cleaning booking, a separate question about debris or access, or a repair referral. Treat the weather as the context for your observation, not as proof of the cause or a promise that a cleaning visit will resolve every visible change.

Choose your next step

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