If your home or business has suffered roof damage by a storm, the first thing to do is to contact your insurance company. It is the insurance adjuster’s job to assess the damage and your responsibility to hire a roofing contractor to do the repairs. Deductibles and insurance quotes are between you and the insurance company and the contractor does not need to see the quote before giving you an estimate.

When you have roof damage, it is always a good idea to have more than one contractor look at your roof damage and give you an estimate. You should expect to receive a detailed estimate which includes an itemized list of materials that will be used as well as the labor costs. Be sure also to as how long the work is expected to take. It can be a bit hard form contractors to tell you exactly how long the work will take, but you should be able to get a general idea of the schedule once the materials have been ordered and delivered to the site.

While you are gathering your estimates, it is a good idea to do a bit of research concerning the contractors. It is imperative that the roofing contractor you hire has experience in the area. Call any references given and ask friends and co-workers if they are familiar with the company’s reputation and work. Confirm that the contractor has a license so that building codes are requirements are adhered to.

If the storm as resulted in a portion of your roof collapsing, then the structural damage and water damage may be extensive. Ask the contractor what exactly he plans to do about the affected beams and supporting joints that need to be repaired. Heavy snow is potentially very dangerous and the weight put on weak roofs often results in cracking and weakening of the surrounding area. It is also very important to thoroughly dry and/or replace wet insulation in attics and walls as mold can easily and quickly begin to grow. Mold that has not been dealt with early on can result in often serious health problems to inhabitants.

Basements often flood from rainstorms because the ground becomes too saturated with water and forces its way through basement walls by cracks in the floors, walls, or at joints where basement walls meet.  Also, over time your home settles and shifts forming cracks and gaps making your home vulnerable to leaks. Make sure there isn’t excessive amount of water around your home that could make its way into your basement. Some wall of waterproofing your basement walls can be expensive and requires excavation and a coating of the walls. This could range in to several thousands of dollars. Water could also leak into your home from backup from a sewer system. This could cause serious flooding and also be a health hazard if rainwater mixes with sewage water. To prevent this you could install a sump pump. A sump pump is a device that routes unwanted water away from your home through the homes main water drainage systems. It works by taking the standing water in your basement and filling up the sump pump pit. When the water reaches a certain level the sump pump kicks on pumping water into the drainage systems directly outdoors away from the foundation of the your home.  Sump pumps are effective devices, but could cost several hundred dollars to install.  A less expensive way to waterproof your home is natural drainage system.  You can do this by constructing an underground drainage system using perforated ridged plastic tubes. Map out a trench about a foot deep going preferably towards a storm sewer. Make sure the trench is on a downward slope so the water can run freely. Lay an inch or two of gravel in the trench then place the piping perforated side face down. Then cover the piping with more gravel so the dirt can’t clog the holes. Finally top off the trench with a few inches of dirt and sod.

Here are some steps to follow if you fall victim to a flooded basement.  If the flooding isn’t too bad and you can manage it yourself, first put on rubber gloves and begin soaking up water with towels. The water could contain bacteria from sewage so you want to make sure you throw the towels away after using them. Let the basement air out for a couple days. Using fans can help speed up the process. Next, you’re going to want to disinfect walls and floors to insure no mold or fungus grow. You can do this by using a mixture of bleach and water or any other strong disinfectant products. If you have wood trim or flooring treat it with disinfectant such as creosote. If small area of flooring or trim seem to be rotting you can fill the areas with commercial wood filler from a home improvement store, but if rotting is too extensive the wood should be replaced.  Finally make sure any leaking or broken pipes are fixed. Check washing machine hose and replace any outside faucets that could cause water damage.