The Eye Of The Storm: Dealing With Home Damage

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Hurricane Florence has been making big headlines in the news over the past week or so as it has caused extensive damage to the Carolinas and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Hopefully, you’ve been able to keep safe if you have been in the path of this terrible hurricane. Even if you don’t live anywhere near the path of this latest monster storm, you will have no doubt encountered a ferocious storm at some point or another. In fact, most researchers believe that with the current trends in climate change, the storms we experience are set to get much worse.

 

Not only is this dangerous for us, it can also be very expensive as these storms cause hundreds of dollars worth of damage to properties. In some cases, a property might be so badly damaged that it can no longer be used. Let’s hope that you never experience storm damage that bad, though!

 

Worried about the state of your home after a storm? Here are some great tips that can help you get the repairs done as quickly as possible.

 

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Don’t Go Outside Until It’s Safe

 

First of all, it’s important to note that you should always stay inside during a storm. Once it seems to be over, it’s still best to remain inside until you know that it is 100% safe to venture outside. You might even want to keep the radio on for updates on the path of the storm so that you know it has definitely past your home. Only once you know that it is safe to go outside can you get started on your home repairs.

 

Take Pictures Of Everything

 

Once you do go outside and inspect your home, you should take pictures of all the damage that you see. This will be needed as evidence for your insurance company. They will use these pictures to assess the extent of the damage and what it will cost to repair it. They will then estimate how much they will be able to pay out to you according to this damage. If you want to go one step better, you should even take some before pictures of your home before any damage is made to it. That way, you can then show the insurance company some before and after shots, which gives them some harder evidence to base their decision on. Don’t delay on contacting your insurance provider as the faster you put your claim in, the faster they will pay out, and you might need that cash to fund the repairs.

 

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Make Small Repairs To Prevent Further Damage

Storms can cause a lot of damage to properties, some of which will be very expensive to repair. You might even need to call out a professional home maintenance or other specialist firm to deal with the fixtures. Of course, saving up the cash to finance the repairs and booking a company to come out to you can all take time. In that time while you wait, some small jobs could turn into bigger ones, especially if the bad weather continues and the damage worsens. So, it’s always worth trying to make any small repairs that you can. One example is that you can board up any smashed windows while you wait for Renewal by Andersen or another local window replacement firm to come out to you. One thing to remember, though, is that you shouldn’t make any large repairs until after you have heard back from your insurance firm. If you do, then it could have an impact on how much money they are willing to pay out, and you might not get quite as big a sum as you had hoped.

 

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Hurricane Florence removing my neighbor’s shingles :(. #hurricaneflorence #hurricaneflorence2018 #stormdamage #shinglesgoing #hurricanedamage

A post shared by Beth Wicker (@ruralart) on Sep 14, 2018 at 11:12am PDT

Keep All Receipts

 

When you buy any tools or materials to make repairs in your home or hire a firm to take care of some jobs for you, you need to always keep hold of any receipts or invoices. Your insurance provider will probably want you to send these to them so that they have an exact amount that they need to reimburse you.

 

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Stay Out Of Flood Waters

 

One of the main issues that can be caused by a storm is flooding. If you find that your basement or elsewhere in your property is flooded, it’s best to stay out of the flood waters as much as possible. Once water becomes stagnant and has stood in one place for a long time, it can quickly become a breeding ground for all kinds of germs and bacteria.

 

Hopefully, these tips help you fix any storm damage!

*This is a contributed post.