What to do after wind damage to your roof

After a stormy night it is natural to step outside and look up. You might see a few slates on the path, a ridge tile hanging over the gutter or a TV aerial leaning at an odd angle. What you do in the first hours and days after wind damage matters, both for your safety and for any insurance claim you make later.

This guide sets out the steps in order, from the moment you notice a problem to the point where the roof is properly repaired.

1. Put safety first

A wind-damaged roof can keep shedding material for some time after the storm has passed. A loose slate or a piece of chimney pot falling two or three storeys can cause serious injury.

• Keep people, pets and cars away from the area directly below the damage, especially under chimneys and along the eaves.
• If a chimney stack looks cracked, is leaning or has lost pots, keep clear of that side of the house and warn any neighbour who shares it.
• Stay away from fallen cables and from damaged aerials or satellite dishes fixed to the roof or chimney.
• If debris has landed on a pavement or back lane, warn neighbours and passers-by, and block off the area if you can do so safely.

If a chimney or part of the roof looks as though it could fall into the street, contact the emergency services or your council's building control team, which deals with dangerous structures, rather than waiting for a roofer.

2. Do not climb onto the roof

However tempting it is to nip up a ladder and push a slate back into place, please do not. Roof surfaces are often wet and slippery after a storm, gusts can return without warning and damaged areas may not take your weight. Ladders on uneven ground, or leaning against a gutter that has been loosened, are a common cause of falls.

Pushing a slipped slate back by hand will not hold it anyway, and you could crack more slates while you are up there. Leave it to a roofer with the right equipment and experience.

3. Look for damage from the ground and inside

You can build a clear picture without leaving the ground. Walk around the house and, where possible, look at the roof from across the street or from the back lane. A pair of binoculars helps a lot.

Look for:

• Missing, slipped or cracked slates and tiles, or gaps where you can see battens or felt underneath.
• Ridge and hip tiles that have lifted, moved or lost their mortar.
• Lead flashing peeled back around the chimney, against walls or in valleys.
• Flat roof coverings lifted at the edges, or felt flapping in the wind.
• Gutters, fascias or soffits pulled away from the wall.
• Bent aerials or dishes that may have dragged slates out of place.

Then go inside. On the top floor, look for new stains, drips or damp. If you can get into the loft safely, check with a torch for daylight, wet insulation, torn felt or water running down timbers, keeping to the joists or boarding.

4. Take temporary measures that are safe

The aim is to limit further damage until the roof can be fixed. Inside the house, that might mean:

• Putting buckets or bowls under drips and moving furniture, electrical items and rugs out of the way.
• Laying plastic sheeting or old towels over floors and anything you cannot move.
• Switching off the electrics at the consumer unit if water is near light fittings or sockets and you can reach the board safely.
• Moving belongings stored in the loft away from the wet area.

Outside, temporary work such as sheeting over an exposed area or refixing loose slates should be done by a roofer working from safe access. Insurers generally expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so arranging an emergency repair promptly is usually sensible. Keep invoices and receipts for any work done.

5. Record everything for your insurer

Good records make it easier for your insurer to understand what happened. Before anything is moved or tidied away:

• Photograph and film the damage from the ground, from inside and in the loft. Take wide shots that show the whole house as well as close-ups of each problem.
• Photograph fallen slates, tiles and debris where they landed before you clear them.
• Write down the date and time you noticed the damage and what you know about the storm.
• Keep damaged pieces if you can, in case the insurer wants to see them.

Contact your insurer as soon as you can to report the damage and ask what they need. Check whether they want to send their own assessor before any permanent repairs begin.

A word on storm cover

Home insurance policies usually distinguish between damage caused by a storm and problems caused by gradual wear and tear. If a roof was already in poor condition, an insurer may decline part or all of a claim. That decision rests with them, based on your policy wording and the evidence, so be clear and honest about the condition of the roof before the storm.

6. Get a written report from a roofer

A written report gives you and your insurer a clear record of what was damaged and what needs doing. It should describe the damage, include photographs, separate storm damage from any existing wear and set out the recommended repairs.

Newcastle Roofs can provide photos, a written report and a quote to support an insurance claim. The insurer still decides whether to pay and how much, but a clear, factual report helps everyone see what happened. We also offer 24/7 emergency roof repairs, with no call-out charge.

7. Be wary of cold callers after a storm

After strong winds, some people go door to door offering to fix roofs on the spot. Be cautious about anyone who turns up uninvited, asks for cash up front or pressures you to decide there and then. Take their details, ask for a written quote and compare it with others before agreeing to anything.

Why exposure matters in the North East

Homes on high ground, at the end of a terrace or close to the coast tend to take the full force of strong winds. Slate roofs with corroded nails, ridge tiles held only by old mortar and chimney stacks that have not been looked at in years are usually the first to suffer. If your roof has lost slates in one storm, ask the roofer to check the rest of it while they have access, so weak spots can be dealt with before the next spell of bad weather.