If your home has been affected by the weather and you suspect there’s storm damage, then our storm damage checklist will help you get things sorted as quickly as possible, to minimize the impact on your family.
If you know there’s a storm coming, why not prepare your home for a storm, prepare your car for a storm and prepare your business for a storm and get ready for dealing with the aftermath of a storm.
Here’s what we recommend.
Assess the storm damage
When you’re sure the bad weather is over, and it’s safe to do, you’ll want to assess the storm damage for yourself.
Remember if your home has suffered structural damage after a storm, this could be very dangerous, so it is best to get the professionals in as soon as possible.
Exterior
You’ll want to see whether you can see evidence of missing tiles or broken gutters.
Perhaps there’s an obvious gap in your roof, or fragments of tile or guttering scattered around the garden.
Remember, it’s probably not a good idea to get your ladder out and climb up to have a better look.
Air conditioning unit
Check your air conditioning unit and make sure that it’ not been damaged.
Whilst it might not seem important to check in the midst of winter, you’ll be annoyed if your air conditioning doesn’t work properly when you need it in the summer.
Other damage
You’ll need to try and spot all the storm damage whilst you’re doing your assessment.
Check for damage caused by your trees, or to by neighbors’ trees, or by fencing that’s blown away.
Again, be careful, and don’t take any unnecessary risks.
Interior
The signs of storm damage on the interior of your home will often be quite apparent.
Look out for water staining on walls and floors especially on ground floors.
You’ll want to check for wet insulation or water seepage in the attic, and cracked skylights too, if it is safe to do so.
Speak to your insurance company
Your next job will be to contact your insurance company.
Depending on how many other people are affected, this may take time, so it might be worth using their website if you can’t get through on the phone.
We work alongside all the major insurance companies, and can help you file your insurance claim quickly and easily.
It’s a good idea to keep your insurance details to hand and easily available at all times, perhaps in your wallet or on your phone so that you don’t have to go in your house to get your policy details, especially if it’s not safe to do so.
Take pictures
Remember to take pictures of any damage sustained, if you can. This will help the assessors know what to expect when they come to visit your home.
From a damaged roof to a broken air conditioning unit or flooded kitchen, a few pictures can make all the difference when it comes to making your home insurance claim.
Don’t throw anything away
It’s important that you don’t throw any damaged items away, as they may be needed by your insurance assessor for your claim.
If you can’t keep a soaking wet carpet or broken TV in your home, then take pictures, and keep samples if possible. A small square of your wet carpet should be enough to prove it was all wet.
Find a property reconstruction contractor
As soon as your insurance company gives you the go-ahead, you’ll want to find a property reconstruction contractor who can assess your home and make the necessary repairs.
The contractor you choose needs to be credible, experienced, reliable, and ideally available immediately.
We’ve got many years experience of helping to repair homes affected by storm damage. Our enviable reputation, hundreds of satisfied customers and A+ BBB Rating means you can rely on us and trust our work.
Protect your property from further damage
If it’s safe to do so, you’ll need to protect your property from any further damage.
Get some tarp and cover up any obvious holes or broken windows if you can.
It’s a good idea to move things that are in danger, such as kitchen appliances, computers and other electrical equipment and any valuables and personal items.
Our Advice
We can’t stress it enough, but don’t put yourself or others in danger, even if you think you are confident and capable of assessing the damage for yourself. Contact your insurance company first, see what else you can do on the storm damage checklist, and then let RJI Professionals do it all for you. We work across Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin, and so we’re able to help you.
Need help or advice after a storm? Why not Contact us today on 877-ROOF-310 and tell us what you need us to do.