Storm Éowyn has passed, but what is the best way to go about repairing your house in its disastrous aftermath? 

The ESB estimates that around 145,000 homes are still without power and thousands more have sustained serious physical damage. 

On Lunchtime Live, Peter Finn, also known as ‘Pete the Builder, said a good repair job is necessary because powerful storms are happening “a little bit more frequently” than before.

“What has affected a lot of people is garden walls, trees falling down in their area and then you do have some slates that have been damaged,” he said. 

“All that stuff is fixable… and again, it is certainly something that needs to be done. 

“The west coast of Ireland has been absolutely devastated; much more affected than other parts of the country.

“There’s just no doubt about it, you do have to consider going forward when you’re doing construction and you’re doing the fix now, maybe can you do it more securely than previously to try and prevent this happening again?” 

Scaffolding in Dublin. Photograph: @DubFireBrigade

Pete suggested people should first do a visual inspection of a property and see if you “anything that’s really bad” to begin with. 

“We’ve had heavy rain over the last couple of days,” he said. 

“You would have noticed water running down the walls where you didn’t have it before. 

“Obviously, if you have some slates or tiles blown off your roof, you will have felt it because rain probably came in with the heavy rain.” 

When it comes to fixing things, Pete said people should alway prioritise their safety. 

“If it’s something that is just at a single storey level, most people can access that with a single A ladder,” he said. 

“Anything that’s higher than that, I would not recommend that it’s done in a DIY way. 

“I recommend that you do get the professionals in because even getting access to the high levels of your roof can be extremely dangerous.” 

A tree down in County Meath. Photograph: @MCCFireService

For those who are worried about future power cuts, Pete said a generator might be a worthwhile investment. 

“Again, you have to really consider, is it worth investing if your power only goes for a couple of hours once or twice a year?” he said. 

“But in the south west and the west of Ireland and up in Donegal, this happens quite regularly. 

“If you live in an area where you’re losing power regularly… Yes, it is good investment in those situations and it’s quite easily done.”

Main image: A fallen tree and pole on Grove Park Drive in Dublin. Picture by: Alamy.com.