Preparing a roof for a named storm means securing what the wind can lift, clearing what it can drive into the gutters and joints, and recording the roof before the storm arrives. This guide sets out the steps in order. It states no date for any storm, because the FACTS sheet gives no seasonal driver.
Key takeaways
- Secure loose items on the roof edge and in the yard, since wind turns them into debris.
- Clear the gutters and the outlets of debris before the storm, so water can leave.
- Photograph the roof and the yard from the ground, with the date, before the storm arrives.
- Check the chimney cap and the vent caps, which are the first things the wind lifts.
- Keep the roofer's number and the policy number where they can be found in a hurry.
Step one: secure what the wind can lift
Look at the yard, the roof edge and the gutters for items that could become debris, and secure or remove them.
Items such as loose fencing, garden furniture, lids and tools can become debris in a strong wind and strike the roof. Secure or store them before the storm arrives.
- Loose yard items secured or stored
- Roof-edge items removed
- Gutter guards and lids checked
Step two: clear the outlets
Clear the gutters and the downspout outlets before the storm, by hand from a stable ladder.
A clear outlet lets water leave during a heavy rain, and a blocked one spills at the wall. Clear them by hand, with a second person on the ladder, and note the date.
- Gutters cleared by hand
- Downspout outlets checked
- A second person on the ladder
Step three: photograph the roof
Photograph each side of the house and the roof edge from the ground, with the date visible, before the storm arrives.
A photograph set taken before the storm is the baseline. After the storm the same views show what changed, which is the most useful record a homeowner can keep.
- Each side of the house from the ground
- The roof edge and the chimney
- The date visible on each photograph
Step four: check the caps and fixings
Check the chimney cap, the vent caps and the ridge line from the ground, for looseness and damage.
The chimney cap and the vent caps are the first parts the wind lifts. A cap that is loose now is likely to be lost in the storm, and the roofer can refix it on a visit before the weather arrives.
- Chimney cap and vent caps
- The ridge line
- Loose fixings noted for a visit
Step five: keep the contacts ready
Keep the roofer's number, the insurer's claim number and the policy number in one place, where they can be found quickly.
After a storm the calls come in fast. A single sheet with the roofer's number, the insurer's claim line and the policy number saves time, and the line can be called at once.
- Roofer's number on one sheet
- Insurer's claim line and policy number
- One sheet kept by the door
Preparing for a storm you have been warned about
When a named storm is forecast, the same steps apply with less time: secure, clear, photograph and call the roofer about any fitting already loose.
With a warning, the steps are the same but compressed. Secure the yard and the roof edge, clear the outlets and photograph the house. If a chimney cap or a vent cap is already loose, call the roofer for a visit before the wind arrives. The photographs are the baseline the storm will be measured against.
- Secure the yard and the roof edge
- Clear the outlets and photograph
- Call about any loose fitting before the wind
What not to do in a storm
Do not go onto the roof during the storm, do not stand under a damaged area and do not switch on the power to a wet room.
During the storm, stay indoors and away from windows. Do not go onto the roof, and do not stand under a damaged ceiling. If a room is wet, switch off its power at the switch and keep clear of it until the water is controlled.
- Stay indoors and away from windows
- Do not go onto the roof
- Keep clear of a wet room until it is controlled
What to do in the days after a storm
Record the damage, protect any open area, book the inspection and keep the photographs and the storm date together.
In the days after a storm, record what the wind and water did, cover any open area from a safe position, book the roofer's inspection and keep the photographs and the storm date together. Those steps make the claim and the repair simpler, and they keep the record in order.
- Record the damage
- Protect any open area from a safe position
- Book the inspection and keep the record together
Preparing the roof's openings and fixings
Check each vent, each fixing and each opening in the roof edge, and note any that will need a roofer before the wind arrives.
Vents, caps, collars and fixings are the openings a storm tests first. From the ground, check each one for looseness. A loose opening is booked for a roofer's visit before the weather, because a repair made in the wind is harder and less safe than one made in calm.
- Each vent and fixing checked from the ground
- Loose openings booked before the weather
- No repair attempted in the wind
What a homeowner can keep in the house
Torch, a printed copy of the roofer's and insurer's numbers, the policy number, a container for water and a plan for the rooms most at risk.
Keep a torch, a printed copy of the roofer's number, the insurer's claim line and the policy number, and a container or two for water. Decide which rooms are most at risk from a leak, and move the valuables out of them before the storm, so the first hour is spent on the water and not the search.
- A torch and containers for water
- Numbers printed in the house
- Rooms most at risk cleared ahead
After the storm passes
Check the house before the wind has finished, from the inside, then from the ground, and then book the roofer.
As the wind eases, check the rooms from the inside for water, then the attic from the hatch, then the roof edge from the ground. Photograph each finding with the date. Book the roofer for any open area, sag or growing stain, and do not wait for the next weather.
- Inside first for water
- Attic and then the roof edge from the ground
- Book the roofer for each open item
What to say to the neighbours before a storm
Tell the neighbours about any loose fitting that could strike their property and ask them to do the same.
A loose cap, a dish or a fence panel on one house can strike a neighbour's roof in a storm. Tell the neighbours about anything of yours that could move, and ask them to tell you about theirs. A short conversation before the storm prevents a dispute afterwards.
- Tell neighbours about loose fittings
- Ask them to tell you about theirs
- Prevents a dispute afterwards
Recording the roof before the season
Keep a dated set of photographs of the roof, the gutters and the attic before the storm season begins, so the change is clear afterwards.
A roof photographed before a storm is easy to compare with the roof after it. Take the same views each time, from the same positions, with the date visible. The set is kept with the roof file and updated each time the roof is checked.
- The same views each time
- The same positions and the date visible
- Kept with the roof file
Who to call first
The roofer for any opening or loose fitting, and the insurer for any loss that may need a claim, after the roof has been recorded.
Call the roofer first for any opening, loose fitting or water getting in. Call the insurer for a loss that may need a claim, after the roof has been recorded and photographed, so the claim has its record from the start.
- Roofer first for openings and water
- Insurer for a possible loss, after recording
- The record made before the call
Keeping the quote and the record together
The written quote and the written record are kept as one file, dated and in order, so the cost and the condition can be read together later.
A homeowner who keeps the quote with the storm record can see what was spent on which part of the roof and why. The two documents answer different questions, and together they show the whole job. Store them in one folder, with the date of each document written on its first page.
- The quote and the record kept in one folder
- Each document dated on its first page
- Read together to show the whole job
Frequently asked questions
Can I prepare the roof for a storm myself?
Yes, from the ground. Do not climb the roof, and let a roofer refix anything that needs the roof.
When should I call a roofer before a storm?
When a cap or a flashing is already loose, or when the gutters are blocked and cannot be cleared from the ground.
Does preparing the roof stop damage?
It reduces the loss from the things the wind can lift or drive. It does not stop all damage.
What should I photograph after the storm?
The same views as before, with the date, so the change is clear.
Sources
This guide is general information for Newport News (independent city) homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.