Make Sure the Surrounding Trees are Healthy and Trimmed Away From the Roof.
Extreme winds, rain, and hail can all inflict terrible damage on home valuables and property. Learning how to protect your home from storm damage could save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars in the event of a traumatic storm. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what to do to protect their property from the elements.
Today, we’ll list out some crucial steps homeowners can take after a property is impacted by storm damage. We’ll then provide some valuable tips on how to protect your home in the event of nasty weather. Afterward, you’ll have a clear plan for safeguarding your home and your finances from storms.
What to Do After Storm Damage
While the trauma and expenses inflicted by hail damage is certainly frustrating, repairing the damage is actually pretty simple. On the other hand, water degradation is a completely different ball game, deteriorating your wooden roof supports, ruining insulation, staining your ceiling, and even promoting the growth of mold spores. When it comes to fixing storm damage, time is of the essence. Take pictures as you inspect your property.
What to Inspect Following a Storm
- Shingles – curling, dimples, dents, cracks
- Gutters – leaks, splashing, loose connection
- Fascia Boards – corrosion, rotting
- Soffit – corrosion, rotting, blocked vents
- Siding – pockmarks, loose boards
- Ground by Walls – high puddles
- Attic Space – moist supports, dripping, stained ceiling
- Garage or Basement – flooding, burnt out sump pump
- Driveway – loose chunks, deep cracks
Hail Damage is Typically Covered by Homeowners Insurance, But Beware Subsequent Water Damage!
Unless your shingles are rated highly for impact resistance, there’s a good chance a hail storm will inflict at least a little damage. Keep an eye on your gutters and fascia board. Leaks and loosened connections will spill water around the walls, endangering your foundation. Along with healthy siding, your fascia is important for blocking moisture and bugs from getting at the inside of your house. Besides, if you can get your insurance to cover the costs of your Cincinnati residential painting service, isn’t it worth taking time to document the damage?
A rental home damage checklist should cover some of the same areas, even if you aren’t responsible for fixing the damage. If you spot any trauma to the siding boards or roofing, this could spell potential disaster for other parts of your house or apartment. Basically, you’re aiming to keep moisture (and bugs) out of your rental property.
Insurance Coverage
Is Storm Damage Covered by Homeowner’s Insurance?
Most home insurance policies will cover unpreventable damages caused by the elements. Hail, severe wind, lightning, heavy rain, and ice all fall within the scope of homeowner’s insurance (again, for most policies). There are certain parts of your property beyond the house that may be included in your policy.
Does homeowners insurance cover driveway damage? The driveway is typically considered an extension of your home and therefore part of your policy coverage. This is an area that is often overlooked by homeowners, so make sure to give it a look-over after the next major storm.
Not Covered
What is Not Covered Under Homeowner’s Insurance?
There are some notable exceptions to this general coverage that you need to be aware of.
- Foreseeable/Preventable Damage
- Flooding (Sewer or Hurricane)
- Earthquakes
If an insurance adjuster finds evidence that you could have prevented some or all of the damage inflicted to your home, there’s a good chance you won’t see a full payout. Take falling tree damage, for instance. If a healthy tree is blown onto the roof by extreme wind, it’s considered an unforeseeable incident. However, if the tree was sickly and clearly about to fall over, you could be liable for the subsequent rooftop & structure damage. Flooding and earthquakes are not usually included in basic homeowner policies, but they can be purchased as add-ons.
Future Protection
How Can I Protect My Home From Storm Damage?
Basic maintenance and repairs prevent the vast majority of trauma during a storm. Choosing the right materials for your local climate is also essential. If your neighbors are constantly submitting hail storm damage on home insurance policies, it would be prudent to install premium impact-resistant shingles. Should you install metal roofing, you’ll probably even qualify for a policy discount.
Keep an eye open for that preventable damage! If you have a dying tree next to the house, don’t wait for a costly emergency to get it removed. The same can be said for any degraded part of your roofing system. Regular inspections can help you identify weak points in your roof and address them before the storm clouds roll in. Finally, if you live in an area that floods on a regular basis, consider installing a sump pump (and a backup) to protect your home.
Schedule Your Storm Damage Repairs Today!
If nasty weather has damaged your roofing system, call our team at Cincinnati Gutter & Roof Protection for storm damage repair in Cincinnati, OH! We will be happy to answer any question you have about inspections or the repair process. You can reach our team at 513-563-9988!.
