Connecticut homeowners may be used to the occasional storm, but the damage the bring always have to be dealt with. The process of restoration can be long and daunting, especially when storm damage has impacted a significant portion of your home. Holes in your roof, impact damage to your exterior, broken windows, or a flood on the ground floor–it will be difficult to handle all these without filing a storm damage claim to your insurance provider. But before you do, you’ll want to know about and do a couple of important things. The premier roof and window replacement company in the area, Villwell Builders, LLC shares some of them here:
Check for injuries. First things first–check whether anyone is hurt during the storm. If anyone appears to be injured, call an ambulance immediately. You can always assess the damage to your roof and home later. In fact, safety should be your utmost priority. If you spot any downed power lines outside, make sure to call the electric company and avoid going outside in the meantime.
Perform a visual inspection from the ground. It’s always a better idea to conduct your inspection from the ground. Check for missing shingles or pieces of metal fascia, along with any displaced metal sections from the chimneys. Are the gutters sagging or torn loose? Did wind-blown debris leave dents, cracks and chips on your siding? Check the exterior areas of your home thoroughly. You should avoid climbing up the roof yourself, however, especially if the system appears to be seriously damaged. You should leave this task to an experienced roofing and building renovation expert like Villwell Builders, LLC, who would know and adhere to the safety procedures involved with storm damage assessment.
Inspect the inside of your home. Your storm damage visual inspection should not be limited to the outside. Make sure to check inside your home, as well. Be on the lookout for water stains and streaks along your walls and ceiling. Should you find them, it’s highly likely your roof has a leak and needs swift repair work.
Have your roof checked following a storm. A large hole on your roof resulting from a tree crashing against it during a windstorm is a pretty obvious indication of storm damage. But not every storm damage is noticeable. Hailstones, for example, can damage your roof upon impact, creating small dents and cracks that will be hard to spot until they worsen. High winds, meanwhile, can blow under your shingles and loosen them, which makes it easy for water to infiltrate your roofing system. If you want to know for sure so you can have the problem fixed immediately, consult your trusted local roofing and window contractor, Villwell Builders, LLC for a comprehensive storm damage inspection. This also allows you to determine whether the storm damage actually warrants filing an insurance claim.
Document the storm damage. If your trusted local building company has confirmed the storm damage warrants filing a claim, take out your handy smartphone or camera and take lots of photos of your home’s condition. Patches of missing shingles, broken windows and gutters, torn siding, flooding inside your home–make sure these are all photographed in detail. This will be handy later on when you need to file the claim.
When you have to file a storm damage claim, do it immediately. In most cases, you have one year from the date of the storm to file your claim, but some states cut this down to six months. The smartest idea is to do it as soon as possible–just after your roofing and window contractor has done the necessary storm damage assessment.
Understand your coverage. The fact is that there are limitations to the coverage you’ll get from your insurance provider. If wind damage, for example, is stipulated in your policy, then the necessary repair or restoration work is likely covered by your insurance company. But there are some things that won’t be. Any problems in your home that have resulted from poor maintenance (which the storm damage has worsened or made obvious) may not be covered by your insurance. That’s because insurance providers cite proper and regular maintenance as the homeowner’s responsibility. For this reason, it’s in your best interest to remain updated on home maintenance, and keep detailed and accurate records providing you’ve done so.
Don’t overlook insurance claims assistance. Many homeowners find the process of storm damage claims daunting–and that’s understandable. If you’d rather not deal with it yourself, you can always work with a reliable pro like Villwell Builders, LLC. Aside from window replacement, you can also count on us for stress-free insurance claims assistance.
Why Choose Villwell Builders, LLC
When your home and roof has suffered extensive storm damage, it won’t help to put off its restoration. This way, you can prevent further damage to your home and avoid the stress and expenses involved with correcting it. The first step is to hire a reliable company who can do the job and deliver exemplary results. This means avoiding storm chasers, who’ll come knocking on your door following a major weather event. Considering them for your roof and home restoration? Not the best idea–you’ll usually end up with subpar materials and sloppy workmanship.
Instead, you should work with a premier building renovation company like Villwell Builders, LLC. We are:
Credentialed. We have all the necessary licenses, insurance–including workers’ compensation and liability coverage–that make us eligible to perform roof and home restoration work in your area. All of these work to protect you should anything go awry during the project.
Certified. Villwell Builders, LLC has earned distinctions from GAF®, Kaycan® and other top manufacturers. This not only allows you access to some of the highest quality products available today, but you’ll also benefit from the solid warranty coverage included with them. And when you work with us in any project, you can always expect workmanship that adheres to strict quality specifications.
Experienced. For over 15 years, Villwell Builders, LLC has provided Connecticut homeowners with exceptional solutions to their roofing and exterior home renovation needs. We don’t take shortcuts not allow for callbacks–only a project completed perfectly right the first time.
Look no further than Villwell Builders, LLC for top-tier storm damage repair and restoration. We proudly serve the areas in and around Waterbury, CT. Call us today at (475) 271-1242 or fill out this contact form to schedule your consultation.
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