What Should I Do if My Home Has Storm Damage?
Storms have the potential to cause terrible damage to your home. Driving straight-line winds, excessive rain, hail, tornadoes, and more can badly damage the building and even its contents. What should you do?
Here are the five steps to take if your home has storm damage:
- Get everyone to safety
- Contact your insurance company
- Contact a storm damage restoration company
- Assess and document damage
- Perform temporary repairs if necessary
Get Everyone to Safety
Your first concern after your home suffers storm damage is the safety of your family. Make sure that everyone is in a safe location, either in your home or someplace else if you think your home might not be safe.
Contact emergency services if there’s a fire or if anyone is injured. Follow their instructions to make sure you’re properly handling any emergency needs.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Once everyone is safe and you’ve dealt with any emergencies, it’s a good idea to contact your insurance company. They like to be notified immediately whenever there’s damage to your home, and a delay in contacting them may jeopardize your ability to get compensation for storm damage.
Depending on the nature of the storm and your damage, the insurance company may want to send someone out right away. Other times, it might be days before they can send someone out to inspect the property. If it is going to be days, ask them for guidance on what you should or shouldn’t do while you wait for their representative to arrive.
If you think your home might be unsafe, ask your insurance company for assistance with temporary accommodations.
Contact a Storm Damage Restoration Company
As a general rule, major storm damage is not something you should try to handle on your own. It is best left to the professionals. Improper repairs following storm damage could lead to further damage. It might create dangerous conditions in your home. It might also invalidate your insurance coverage.
After contacting your insurance company, get in touch with a storm damage restoration company who is prepared to properly restore your damaged home. Make sure you reach out to a licensed, reputable company that has a history of reliable and effective repairs.
Assess and Document Damage
Be careful about going into a storm-damaged home. If there’s any risk that the structure is unsound or dangerous, wait until you’ve been cleared by someone with professional expertise.
If it’s safe to do so, you should go through your home and assess the damage. Make sure to document everything, too. Take extensive pictures of the overall scene as well as closeups on any individual damaged items. In addition to pictures, make a list of items that are damaged, including an estimate of their values, if you know them.
Perform Temporary Repairs
Most of the time, you want to leave storm damage repairs to the professionals. However, if your home was damaged in a major storm that caused considerable damage over the area, such as a hurricane or tornado supercell, the restoration response may be overwhelmed. You may not be able to see an insurance representative, let alone a disaster restoration professional, for days or even weeks.
In this situation, you may need to take things into your own hands and perform some temporary repairs, like boarding up broken windows or putting a tarp over your roof, to prevent further damage and keep your home habitable. When you are performing temporary repairs, follow these guidelines:
- Never exceed your skills – Only attempt temporary repairs that you are confident you can handle. Make sure you have the strength, the knowledge, and appropriate tools to handle the repairs. Otherwise, you may get hurt, and you might even do more damage to your home than you prevent. If you don’t feel comfortable making these temporary repairs on your own, call a professional who can provide these services and ensure this important work is completed properly.
- Document everything – Your insurance company may cover the costs of temporary repairs, so make sure you are keeping the receipts from any expenses related to temporary repairs for your home.
Storm Damage Restoration in Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina
If your home has been seriously damaged by a storm in Tennessee, North Carolina, or South Carolina, the storm damage restoration experts at RestorePro can help. We are the leading restoration company in the area with over 30 years of experience. We offer 24/7 emergency response services, so in most cases we will be able to be at your home shortly after receiving your call, ready to start repairs or other work. We can handle every aspect of the restoration process, from initial assessment through demolition work, complete repairs, and even finishing work. When we are finished, it will be as if the damage never occurred, thanks to our storm damage restoration meticulous process that uses the most advanced equipment and techniques that adhere to industry best practices.
RestorePro will also coordinate with your insurance company. We work with insurance every day, so we know what your company needs in terms of documentation. We will document the damage and the repairs thoroughly to smooth the claims process so that you never see delays or diminished compensation because of poor documentation.
If you need help with storm damage to your home, please contact RestorePro today. We serve customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
- What Should I Do if My Home Has Storm Damage? - October 22, 2024
- 8 Steps to Take After Hurricane Storm Damage - October 22, 2024
- HVAC Maintenance to Prevent Water and Fire Damage at Your Business - October 9, 2024