Wind damage can occur to your home exterior in a variety of different situations. Though most homes are built well enough to withstand severe winds, it is possible for a storm to generate winds and rain that are stronger than a home can handle. When this happens, extreme winds can cause damage to a homes roof, soffits, fascia, eavestroughs and siding. It can feel overwhelming to figure out the process of fixing whatever damage has occurred, but it’s important to get on it quickly.
Wind damage can present in many ways
At Total Aluminum, we’re often called to quickly repair wind damage to home siding, eaves, gutters, fascia and more. If you have significant damage, it’s best to call quickly before the elements penetrate your home and be more costly than it should be. In Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Hamilton – our experts are here to help.
Though you may be looking for obvious signs of wind damage like broken shingles and holes in your roof, the actual damage can be a bit harder to notice than that. If you’ve had a big storm and suspect that you may have damage to your roof, soffit or fascia, examine your home for signs of damage as soon as you can.
Signs of wind damage to your home to look for:
- Cracked or fallen tiles from your roof
- Holes in your roof where water or debris is getting in
- Gutters that are pulling away from your roof thanks to excessive runoff or debris
- Water stains on your ceiling inside your home
- Damaged or blocked gutters
- Shingles on the ground outside of your home
- Any signs of rust or decay inside or outside of your home
- Damaged flashing, especially around the chimney or roof vents
- Broken siding
Don’t delay on repairs
You may be tempted to ignore a few broken shingles since there’s not much visible damage but the faster you act on damage to your home, the more likely you are to head off any potential damage that could be hiding below the surface.
Acting on minor wind damage concerns soon after they happen could prevent you from needing to replace your entire roof in the future. The biggest benefit to repairing wind damage immediately is that the repair can likely be done fast, saving you both time and money.
Steps to repairing wind damage
There are 4 main steps to repairing damage from a strong storm that has damaged your home or roof. Though your needs may not have you taking all of these steps, it’s great to have them in mind so that you know what you need to do if you ever get hit by a bad storm or high winds.
Step 1: Take photos and assess any damage you see
Once it’s safe to head outside and check out the exterior of your home, take a walk around the outside of it. Bring your camera and document any possible issues that you see. If your area has been hard hit and there is danger of downed power lines, flooding or fallen trees, wait until it is safe to go out and explore.
Step 2: If needed, make temporary repairs to your home
If you notice holes in your roof or siding and water or wind is getting into your home, you’ll need to make some quick repairs until you can get someone in to do something more permanent.
Step 3: Keep all receipts and paperwork
When it comes time to deal with insurance companies, you’ll want to have all receipts and bills available to submit for your claim. Keeping all receipts both for any repairs you do and any items you may ever want to include in a claim will help make your life easier.
Step 4: Contact your insurance company
You’ll need to contact your insurance company as soon as possible to begin the claim process.
Understand wind damage
Knowing what to look for after a heavy storm or high winds can help make the process of dealing with wind damage much easier. Your house is your single largest and most important investment – so protect it best you can.
