As a rule of thumb, you should always have a roofing contractor inspect your home after a storm. Regardless of how durable your exterior is, it’s bound to suffer some form of damage after a storm. If your home suffered extensive damage, it may need to undergo restoration.
Contractors will inspect your home before discussing the needed renovation work. If there’s any flooding inside, they’ll pump it out of your interior using special equipment. While waiting for the contractor to inspect your home’s interior and exterior, what can you do to mitigate storm damage?
Do a Quick Visual Inspection of Your Roof
As soon as it’s safe to go outside, take pictures of the signs of storm damage. If you have home insurance, you’ll need to submit these photos, along with proper documentation, to your insurer when filing a claim. Don’t put off documenting storm damage. Remember: There’s a time limit on filing claims. Not to mention if you wait too long, it becomes harder to differentiate initial storm damage from damage caused by other factors.
Contact Your Insurer
Contact your insurer’s 24/7 hotline to ask about the steps for filing a claim. Insurers usually coordinate repair work on roofs damaged during storms, so it’s important that you take note of the schedule for inspections.
Take the Necessary Steps to Prevent Further Damage
If rain is pouring into your interior through holes in your roof, move furniture away and place buckets under the leaks. If wind-driven debris broke window glass, you can board your windows up to prevent your interior from getting soaked. Avoid attempting to fix any of the storm damage yourselves, no matter how minor it is. Remember: It’s best to let the professionals handle all exterior work, including roof installation and storm repairs.
Here’s a tip: It’d be a good idea to keep your contractor’s contact info in a notebook or in your contacts. That way, you can contact them immediately in the event of an emergency. The faster you can contact them, the lower the risk of damage affecting other parts of your home.
Looking for contractors near you?
Masters Roofing is the largest residential roofing company in the Mid-South area. We offer a wide range of professional exterior services, including roof replacement and storm damage restoration services. To request a free estimate, call us at (901) 871-7663 or fill out this form. We serve homeowners in Memphis, TN, as well as the surrounding communities.