What to Do After Storm Damage to Your Home

Almost every region in the US has a storm season. Your storm season may be the the icy lashings of winter or the tumultuous rains of Spring. Coastal regions face tropical storms and mountainous regions face icy blasts. However, one thing is shared by all: Harsh enough weather can do some serious damage to buildings and nearby infrastructure.

Hail stones the size of golf balls, rain deep enough to flood homes, or just wind strong enough to knock full-sized trees into homes are commonplace from sea to sea. When it happens to someone else, you send your prayers and maybe offer resources to your neighbors. But when storm damage affects your home, it's vital to know the right steps to take next.

In order to minimize the loss you experience and quickly get your property back into a livable condition, Edesia is here to share some essential post-storm tips and to offer our services in rebuilding your kitchen or bath.

1) Stay Safe and Mitigate Damage

The first and most important step is to stay safe. Don't risk walking through a property that has unstable supports or wading through water if you can't see the bottom. Get yourself and your family or staff out of the building safely, if necessary, and make sure everyone is safe.

If the property is safe to walk through - and only if it is safe - send someone through to take damage-minimizing steps. Turning off the power at the main box or breaker box can significantly reduce the property risk if done safely. Likewise, check to see if you need to turn off your water main in case pipes or taps were damaged.

2) Arrange for an Alternative Location

Storm damage restoration can happen quickly, but not instantly. If your home was damaged, you will need to arrange somewhere else for your family to live for a few days to a few months until your home is livable again.

If your home was damaged in a storm, consider your operation needs and how to confine your work to an undamaged part of the building or rent an alternative space until restorations are complete.

3) Take Photos of the Damage

Take photos or hire a professional inspector to take photos of the property for you. This will document the natural state of the damage before it is disturbed to begin restoration.  Your insurance company will want these photographs as part of the process to assess your claim. They may send their own person to investigate and take photographs, but your initial images will be useful to represent the property immediately after the storm.

4) Get In Touch With Your Property Insurance Provider

Once everyone is safe and you have an initial set of photos, call your insurance provider. Contact the agent for your homeowner's insurance and begin the process of filing a claim. Let them know that there has been a major storm in your area and the extent of the damage to your home.

You may consider sending a few of the preliminary photographs as part of your initial statement.

5) Schedule Restoration Services

Finally, you're ready to reach out to local restoration services. Your insurance provider should help you find a restoration team who they will approve for your claim. If they do not, find a team that has a history of successfully working with other clients who share your insurance provider. This is the best way to ensure all or most of the restoration work on your home will be covered.

Rebuilding a Storm Damaged Kitchen or Bath

After storm damage, restoration becomes your final priority. If stormwater significantly damaged your kitchen or bathroom. Edesia can help you rebuild. As kitchen and bath experts, we care about helping homeowners keep their entire home whole and healthy. And when you're ready to turn this setback into a redesign opportunity, we are here to help make your kitchen even better than it was before the damage.

Stay safe, and contact us when you're ready to talk about storm damage kitchen restoration.