Your home’s roof is one of the most critically affected areas after a storm. And having a broken roof leaves your home vulnerable to more damage. It is vital to take the necessary steps immediately after the storm to minimize damage to the roof.
To help you deal with the aftermath of storm damage, in this article, we have discussed what to do after a storm if your roof has storm damage and before you can get help from professional wind and storm damage restoration services.
What to Do After a Storm If Your Roof Has Storm Damage
1. Ensure Safety
It is very easy to panic during natural disasters like storms. But you should try to stay calm & collected during the storm and ensure safety. It can be tempting to enter your home once the storm stops, but you must avoid it if your roof has sustained damage.
If you enter a home with roof damage, it may collapse at any time and lead to injuries. Also, if the storm has affected your roof, there can be water damage, which warrants extra precaution.
2. Review The Damage
After you are 100% sure that the storm has gone, you should start assessing the damage to your roof. Never climb on the roof first to review the damage, as it may result in injury due to the weakened roof structure. Review the damage by standing on the ground and do the following.
Spot the water stains and leaks on your ceiling. If there are multiple of these, your roof may be damaged.
Check outside your home. If you find broken pieces of shingles, you may have a damaged roof due to the strong storms.
You can also check the condition of the exhaust pipes, valleys, angles, and outer edges connecting the roof to the walls.
If there is damage from trees, you will notice cracks.
3. Contact Your Insurance Company
Once you know the extent of the damage to your roof, you should immediately call your insurance providers to get compensated for your losses. But for that to happen, your claims need to be verified by the insurers.
It is why you should document all the damage to your roof due to the storm. Try to be as honest as possible while making your claims, as it increases the chances of your claims getting passed.
4. Call The Professionals
After speaking to your insurance providers, contact professional wind and storm damage restoration services near you to restore your roof to normal before the damage increases.
A trustworthy restoration company will arrive at your place as soon as possible and quickly get to work on saving your valuables and fixing your roof. With the help of professionals, you can return to your normal life quickly after the storm damages your roof.
5. Perform Emergency Roof First-Aid
After you have called the professionals, it may take a while before they reach your place. During that time, you should do some minor roof repairs by yourself. You can do the following.
Climb your roof after the storm, and if you find dislocated shingles, put them in the proper place to prevent leaks.
For minor damage, you can fill up the cracks with cement or buy new shingles to replace the old broken ones.
Also, you can use metal sheeting as a temporary replacement for your shingles until the professionals arrive at your place.
How do I know my roof is damaged?
When assessing damage to your roof from the storm, some signs indicate roof damage. These signs include the following.
- You can notice the granules of the roof’s protective layer around your gutter or area near the downspouts.
- You notice missing shingles from your roof.
- You notice water damage on your walls & ceilings.
- You see that there is severe damage to the shingles of the roof.
When you notice the above signs on your roof after a storm, you should call your insurance providers & professional restoration services as soon as possible.
