Storm Damage to Your Roof: What to Check After High Winds

Your After-the-Storm Checklist

1. Wait until the wind has dropped before going outside to look.
2. Stay off ladders and the roof, and keep clear of anything loose overhead.
3. Check the roof from the ground, front and back.
4. Check the loft and the top-floor ceilings for water.
5. Photograph any damage and note the date and time.
6. Call a roofer if anything is damaged or water is getting in.
7. Contact your home insurer if you think you’ll need to claim.

Stay Safe First

• Don’t go up. Ladders and roofs are dangerous in wind and rain, and damaged roofs can have loose tiles, slates or debris that can fall. Leave anything at height to a roofer.
• Keep clear of the building line. If tiles, slates or parts of a chimney have come loose, keep people and pets away from the area directly below until it’s been made safe.
• Report damaged power lines. If you see fallen or damaged electricity lines, stay well away and call 105, the free number for power cuts and damage to the electricity network in England, Scotland and Wales.
• Call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger, for example if part of a structure looks about to fall onto a road or pavement.

What to Check From the Ground

Walk around the house and look up at each side of the roof, using binoculars if you have them. Look for:

• Missing, slipped or cracked tiles or slates. Look for gaps, tiles sitting out of line, or broken pieces in the garden, on the drive or in the gutters.
• Ridge tiles along the top of the roof that have moved, or gaps where mortar has come away.
• The edges of the roof. Tiles or mortar at the gable ends (the verges) are exposed to wind and can come loose.
• The chimney. A leaning stack, a missing or damaged chimney pot, or lead flashing around its base that has lifted.
• Gutters, fascias and soffits that have pulled away, cracked or come down.
• Flat roofs on extensions, garages and dormers where the covering has lifted, torn or peeled back at the edges.
• Rooflights with damaged glazing or flashing.

What to Check Inside

If you can get into the loft safely, take a torch and look for daylight showing through the roof, wet or displaced underlay, damp timber and wet insulation. Tread only on boarded areas or the joists. Then check the ceilings on the top floor, and around the chimney breast, for fresh stains or damp patches. Storm damage often only shows itself inside when it next rains, so it’s worth checking again after the following downpour.

If water is already coming in, our guide on what to do when your roof is leaking explains how to stay safe and limit the damage.

Storm Damage That’s Easy to Miss

Some storm damage isn’t obvious straight away. Keep an eye out for:

• Tiles that have lifted but settled back. From the ground they can look fine, but they may no longer be sitting properly, letting wind-driven rain underneath.
• Cracked tiles. Hairline cracks are hard to see from the ground but can let water through over time.
• Loosened mortar. Ridge and verge mortar that has been shaken loose may only fall away in the next storm.
• Flashing that has moved. Lead or other flashing that has shifted slightly can let water track in around a chimney, dormer or wall.
• Damage on the side you can’t see. If part of your roof isn’t visible from the ground or a neighbour’s garden, it’s worth asking a roofer to check it.

If a Tree or Branch Has Hit the Roof

Keep everyone out of the rooms beneath the damaged area and don’t try to remove the tree or branch yourself; the weight may be the only thing holding damaged parts in place. Contact your insurer, as they may need to arrange for the tree to be removed safely before the roof can be assessed and repaired. If power lines are involved, stay away and call 105.

Temporary Repairs and Permanent Repairs

After a storm, a roofer may carry out a temporary repair first, such as covering an exposed area, to stop more water getting in. It’s designed to protect your home for a short time, not to replace a proper repair. Ask what the temporary repair is, how long it’s intended to last and what the permanent repair will involve. Keep invoices for any emergency work, as your insurer may ask for them.

Record Everything

Before anything is moved or repaired, take clear photos of the damage from the ground, any debris, and anything you found inside. Note the date and time you noticed the damage and what the weather was doing. If a roofer carries out a temporary repair, keep the invoice. All of this helps when you speak to your insurer.

Getting It Made Safe and Repaired

A roofer’s first job after storm damage is to make the roof weathertight and safe, which may mean a temporary repair until a full repair can be carried out. They should explain what’s been damaged, what caused it and what the permanent repair involves. All Round Roofing’s 24-hour emergency roof repair service covers our local area, including Chichester, Portsmouth, Havant, Emsworth and Waterlooville. Call 07863 768956.

Storm Damage and Home Insurance

Storm damage is covered by many buildings insurance policies, but claims are often disputed over two things: whether there really was a storm, and whether the storm caused the damage. Knowing how this works can help you prepare.

How Policies Define a Storm

Many policies define a storm by wind speed, often gusts of at least 55mph, and some also include heavy rain, hail or snow. Check the wording of your own policy. The Financial Ombudsman Service has said it won’t always apply a wind-speed threshold strictly, because damage can happen at lower speeds.

The Three Questions the Ombudsman Asks

When a storm claim is disputed, the Financial Ombudsman Service considers:

1. Were there storm conditions on or around the date the damage happened?
2. Is the damage consistent with the kind of damage a storm usually causes?
3. Were the storm conditions the main cause of the damage, or would it have happened anyway?

Wear and Tear

Damage caused gradually, or by a roof that was already in poor condition, is typically excluded. If a storm has damaged a roof that was sound beforehand, your roofer’s description of what they found can help explain the cause.

If Your Claim Is Declined

You can complain to your insurer. If you’re unhappy with its final response, or it hasn’t resolved your complaint within eight weeks, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to use.

Common Types of Storm Damage

• Blown or slipped tiles and slates: usually repairable by replacing the affected tiles, provided the rest of the roof is sound.
• Loose ridge and verge tiles: typically re-bedded or re-fixed.
• Lifted lead flashing: refixed or renewed so water can’t get in around chimneys and walls.
• Chimney damage: from a dislodged pot to a damaged stack, which needs making safe first.
• Flat roof coverings lifted at the edges: sometimes repairable, but if wind has got underneath a large area, a new covering may be needed.
• Gutters and fascias pulled away: refixed, or replaced if cracked or the timber behind has rotted.

Before the Next Storm

• Look at your roof from the ground now and then, and get anything loose fixed before bad weather arrives.
• Keep gutters and downpipes clear so heavy rain can drain away.
• Cut back branches that touch or overhang the roof.
• Secure or bring in garden furniture and other loose items that could be blown into the house.
• Keep an eye on Met Office weather warnings when high winds are forecast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon should I check my roof after a storm?

As soon as the wind has dropped and it’s safe to be outside, and again after the next heavy rain, when hidden damage often shows itself.

Is it safe to go up a ladder to look?

We’d strongly advise against it. Check from the ground and from inside the loft, and leave anything at height to a roofer.

A few tiles have blown off. Is it urgent?

Missing tiles leave the roof open to rain, so it’s worth getting them replaced soon, before the next spell of wet weather. If water is already coming in, treat it as urgent.

Will my insurance cover storm damage?

Many policies do, subject to their definition of a storm and the usual exclusions such as wear and tear. Check your policy and speak to your insurer.

Do you offer emergency repairs after storms?

Yes. We run a 24-hour emergency roof repair service across our local area, and existing customers are given priority. Call 07863 768956.

Need Your Roof Checked After a Storm?

If you’ve spotted damage, or you’re not sure, tell us what you’ve seen and we’ll talk you through what needs to happen next. Quotations are free, with no obligation. Call All Round Roofing on 07863 768956 or use our contact page.