There is nothing like the fury of nature. This is most evident when a storm batters your house down. A really bad storm can damage your home in multiple ways. This can include everything from water damage to broken windows and missing roof shingles, and everything in between.
If your home is a mess after a big storm, there is no need to lose hope. With the right approach, your home will be in great shape in no time. Here are some tips that should help:
Ensure Your Safety
Before anything else, you need to be sure you and your loved ones are safe. There are immediate dangers after a storm. This includes broken glass, errant debris, and more. You need to go through your home and do your best to ensure that everything is as safe as possible. Besides that, you might need to take action about things before they get worse like moving your belongings before they get soaked. You might even have to move out of your house for a few days before things settle down.
Document Things for Insurance
Unless you are super-rich, you will most likely have trouble paying for all the damage to your house. You should have got some insurance protecting your home. But the insurance company is not going to release that money om just your say-so. They will need proof. That is why you need to have proper documentation of the damage to your house.
This is pretty simple nowadays since everyone has a camera with their smartphone. Take pictures of everything and include them with your insurance claim, which you should file as soon as possible.
Clean Things Up
When everything documentation is done, you will need to do some cleanup. Disasters like storms leave a mess and you need to ensure that your house is clean for the repairs that follow. Go through everything and identify damaged items and other things. You should also clean up rooms so that the damage is much more easy to see so you can fix them.
Additionally, pools of water will be your greatest problem, especially in your basement. Drying things out would be a great next step.
Identify and Assess the Damage
With a good clean-up, the damage will be even more noticeable. This is when you assess all the damage. This can range from the broken windows to the leaks to the roof. Having an idea of what needs fixing is a good first step. Divide them into what you can handle and what you should leave to the professionals. Try to start with your small fixes as soon as possible so that you can then call in the contractors to do the heavy work.
Choose the Right Contractors
When you’ve done all that you can, it is time to turn over the work to the professionals. But you shouldn’t settle for any contractor. You need to take your time and look into what each contractor can offer and what their specializations are.
You should also ask for their certifications and references. For example, when you’re looking for roofing contractors in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area, hire a contractor that has a good track record of providing solid roof repairs. This should be obvious from its customer reviews.
Storm damage can be pretty bad depending on how ferocious the storm was. But it is possible to fix things so that your house looks like new again. Keep these tips in mind when you are doing your repairs to ensure that you get the best possible results.
