Why the timing matters more than usual
Evidence fades. Debris gets cleared by a caretaker, displaced metal gets bent back by a maintenance worker, fresh impact marks weather into something harder to read, and water that is moving through a roof on the first day has spread sideways through the insulation by the second week. Everything that makes a storm record convincing is at its clearest in the days immediately afterwards.
There is a limit on how fast anyone should go up there. A roof with standing water, loose edge metal or a structure that took a hit is not a safe place in a wind that has not finished. We will say when it is reasonable to walk it, and if that is not today, that is the honest answer.
What we do not do
We do not decide whether the weather caused a condition in the way an insurer means, we do not deal with insurers or adjusters for you, and we do not advise on cover. We describe the roof.
We do not write a finding we did not see. Where a section could not be reached safely, or where a solar array or screening covers the membrane, the report says which part and why rather than rating it from the edge.
We do not open the assembly on the first visit. If wet insulation is suspected under a low slope roof, moisture testing is separate work, quoted on its own and scheduled when the conditions suit it.
When people call
Mostly in the days after the weather, when a tenant has reported a drip, when debris has turned up in a parking lot, or when a neighboring owner has been told their building has damage. Occasionally much later, when a leak that started quietly has finally reached a ceiling and nobody can say when it began.
The early call gives you a record of the roof on a known date. The late one gives you a repair and an argument about its cause. If a storm went through and the building matters to you, the walk is worth doing before there is a visible reason for it.
Common questions
What should I do first if water is coming in now?
Deal with the water before anything else. Move or cover what can be damaged, put containers under drips, and if a ceiling is holding water get people out from under it.
- A saturated ceiling can come down without much warning
- If a temporary repair keeps the building dry, get it done
- Photograph the stain and the drip before the emergency work hides it
- Keep or photograph whatever the water damaged, and note the date
Nothing about documenting a roof matters more than stopping the building taking on water. Then call us with the address, what is happening inside and what you know about the roof, and we will say what happens first and when the roof can be walked safely.
Can you tell whether the storm caused the damage or the roof was already worn?
Often, and we write what the evidence supports rather than what anyone would prefer. Storm damage tends to be sudden, directional and concentrated, while wear is gradual and general.
- Wind lifts edges and corners first and peels laps rather than splitting them
- Impact leaves fresh separate marks, with matching dents on nearby soft metal
- Wear shows as eroded surfaces, shrunk sealant and fasteners backing out
- Both are usually present, because a storm finishes a detail already weak
Each finding is recorded as new, old or unclear with the reason for the call, and where the evidence does not settle it the report says so. We will not describe wear as storm damage because it would be convenient, since one overstated line takes the credible ones down with it.
Can you make the roof safe before a full repair?
Where the roof is taking water, or something is loose enough to move in the next wind, dealing with it comes first and the permanent repair follows once the scope is understood.
- The priority is a dry building and nothing left to blow off
- Photograph before you cover, because a cover hides the condition underneath
- We take those pictures as a matter of course
- Temporary work keeps water out while a repair is scoped and priced
If somebody else has already made the roof safe, we will ask whether pictures were taken first. The report says which items are holding on temporary measures, so they do not quietly become permanent and get forgotten until the next storm finds them.
What does the storm damage report include?
A dated written account of the roof as we found it, with a close photograph, a location, a plain description and our view on whether each finding is new, old or unclear.
- Anything letting water in is listed first and separately
- Drainage is recorded, since standing water keeps causing damage afterwards
- Findings are set against any earlier inspection on file
- Where no earlier record exists, the report says that too
That comparison is the most convincing part of any storm record, because it shows a condition that was not there before. The report is written for readers who were not on the roof, so it avoids trade shorthand and states what could not be reached and why.
Do you handle insurance claims?
No. We inspect roofs and write down what we find. Whether an event is covered and how a claim is settled are matters between you, your insurer and your own advisers.
- What we produce is a clear, dated, photographed record of the roof
- You can use that document with whoever needs it
- Be careful with anyone arriving after a storm offering to handle everything
- The pattern is an inspection you did not arrange and paperwork to sign
Get the roof documented by someone you called, and get a second opinion on the condition if you want one. Read anything before you sign it, and take the time to do that even when you are told the offer is only good today.