A Guide to Storm Damage Repair
Picture this. You’ve spent the night unable to sleep due to a raging thunderstorm. In the morning, you drag yourself out of bed, open your bedroom door, and immediately step in a puddle. When you look up, you see a wet spot growing on your ceiling. Your worst fears are confirmed—your roof is leaking.
Maybe you’ve experienced this exact scenario before. Maybe it wasn’t a leak in your roof, but a tree branch instead. Perhaps you went outside to find your gutters on the lawn, or the siding stripped from your house. No matter the circumstances, the bottom line is clear: your house is in need of storm damage repair.
What is Storm Damage?
As the name implies, storm damage is any damage caused directly or indirectly by a storm. This includes damage from water, lightning, hail, strong winds, and debris. As the main line of defense against the elements, your home’s roof and siding are at high risk for storm damage.
Signs of Storm Damage
If the recent thunderstorm knocked a tree into your living room, you probably don’t need us to tell you that you are in the market for storm damage repair. However, the signs aren’t always that obvious. Once the storm has passed and it’s safe to go outside, check for the following signs:
Fallen tree branches
Even if they’re on your lawn instead of through your roof, fallen branches are a good indicator that the storm you experienced was strong. Even if you can’t see them, get a ladder and check — it’s possible that some fell on your roof and damaged it just out of sight from the ground.
Missing or damaged shingles
Water, hail, debris, and even strong winds can strip or damage your roof’s shingles. Even if this doesn’t put holes in it, it can still lead to leaking, loss of insulation, and further damage due to a weakened surface.
Missing or damaged siding
Just like your roof, a strong storm can strip or damage your house’s siding. Vinyl siding is particularly vulnerable to chips and cracks, while metal siding is prone to dents. Either can lead to water damage and insulation loss, as well as allowing pests access to your home.
Noticeable shingle granules
Sometimes, you don’t even need to climb onto the roof to see if it's damaged. Asphalt shingles have a layer of protective granules covering them. If there’s a noticeable amount of these granules scattered across your property after a storm, it means your roof needs repair.
Leaks
Untreated water damage can be a death sentence for your home: rotting your walls and floors, ruining your belongings, and allowing mold and mildew to fester. After a storm, be sure to check your attic or ceiling for leaks or water damage.
Gutter damage
Your gutters serve an important role in draining water. A strong storm can dislodge them or rip them away entirely, allowing water to pool on your roof. Even if they remain in place, these winds can also blow debris into them, which clogs them and prevents them from draining properly. Pair that with rain or melting snow, and you have a recipe for water damage. Clogged gutters also create the perfect breeding ground for pests and mold.
Crooked chimney
A strong storm can damage the flashing seal around your chimney, causing it to become crooked. This creates gaps in your roof that water and pests can enter through. It won’t always be at an obvious angle, so be aware of your chimney before and after a storm. You can even take a picture on a clear day to use as a reference.
Ice dams
Ice dams are a common issue during winter storms. When warm air escapes from your attic, the snow on the center of the roof melts. Once this runoff reaches the colder edges of the roof, it refreezes again, forming ice dams. As these dams grow, they move back up the roof, where they can dislodge shingles, trap snow, and even pull down gutters.
What to do
Say you’re experiencing a heavy storm. You’ve already heard the sound of branches breaking from a nearby tree, so you’re expecting storm damage to your house. What steps should you take to get your roof and siding repaired once the storm has passed?
1. Check for Damage
You can’t get your home repaired until you know how bad the damage is. Once the storm has passed and it’s safe to go outside, check to see if your house was damaged. Be sure to keep an eye out for any sharp debris on the ground — damage to your house is bad enough without a cut foot on top of it.
2. Assess the Damage
Once you’ve confirmed that there’s storm damage, assess it to see how bad it is. Are you missing shingles? Are your gutters gone? Is there a branch on or through your roof? Be sure to take pictures and thoroughly record everything you find.
3. Contact Your Insurance Provider
Once you’ve assessed the damage, contact your insurance provider. This is where your damage records will come in handy. Your insurance should cover some or all of the repair costs. Be sure to keep receipts from any temporary living expenses as well.
4. Stop Further Damage Where Possible
While you should leave home repairs to the professionals, that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to stop further damage. For example, if a tree branch has put a hole in your roof, you can cover it up to prevent water and debris from entering your home. It may not seem like much, but it can save you time and money down the line.
5. Choose Your Contractor
Once your claim has been processed, you can finally choose your repair contractor. It’s important to choose a reliable one, as an improper repair job can cover up lingering issues and allow them to fester.
Get a Roof and Siding Repair Quote
We should all feel safe from the elements in our home. If storm damage has damaged your roofing or siding and you don’t know where to turn for repairs, contact Woodland HomeWorks. Not only do we provide quality roofing repair and vinyl siding repair, we also offer free quotes so that you won’t have to pay for bad news. Don’t wait for your roof to collapse - contact Woodland HomeWorks and get your free quote today.
