As a homeowner, there is plenty you need to contend with and maintain in order to keep your home safe, secure, and comfortable. There are a number of issues that can chip away at the home with some as simple as age, as most things do have a lifespan and will need replacing eventually. However, few factors are as damaging as the weather. Storms are the cause of countless damage to homes each and every year ranging from relatively minor to extremely serious. Wind, hail, and excessive rain can actually chip away at the very integrity and safety of the structure.
So what happens if your home has just suffered damage to the roof caused by a storm? What steps should you take? Here is a simple guide you can follow.
Assess the Damage from the Ground
The initial place to start is by assessing the damage the best you can from the ground. You absolutely do not want to be crawling up on the roof and looking around, as this can lead to an accident. Instead, walk the perimeter of the house checking the roof from all angles. This will probably give you a sense of how severe the damage is, and how much damage has been done.
Typically heavy winds are the most damaging factor as they can start to rip shingles and pieces of the roof apart, and can blow items onto the roof – even large trees – which creates even more damage.
If your damage is so severe that you have an actual hole in your roof, meaning you can see the hole from inside, then you probably don’t need to worry about assessing it from the outside – it’s clear it needs immediate repairs.
Do Not Go Into the Home if There Is Structural Damage
It’s important to point out if there is severe damage to the roof that may, in fact, be causing structural damage, do not go into the house. You’ll need to have the professionals take a look and give the all-clear before anyone can safely go in there.
Contact a Roofing Company Immediately
The first phone call you’ll likely want to make is to a roofing company to come out assess the situation, provide a quote, and potentially get started on the repairs. As ezhomesolutions.com points out, you want to look for a roofing company that uses high-quality material, has experience, and will come out for those emergency repairs.
Get In Touch with Your Home Insurance Provider
You also want to contact your home insurance provider as soon as possible so you can figure out if the damage is covered. Even if it is covered you will likely need to pay a deductible, which varies based on your provider and the policy you have.
Do Not Put the Repair Off
The biggest tip is to make sure you get the roof looked at as quickly as possible to ensure you keep the damage to a minimum.