How to Check Your Home for Water Damage After a Storm

After a storm, check your home for water damage from the top down: the roof and gutters outside, then the ceilings, walls and windows inside. Look for stains, sagging, bubbling paint and swollen baseboards, and pay attention to musty smells. Make sure the area is safe first, take photos of everything, and dry anything wet within a day or two.

Safety first

Wait until local officials say it's safe to go out. Stay away from downed power lines, and don't touch outlets or switches where there's standing water. Turn off power to wet areas at the breaker if you can do it safely.

Outside the house

• Roof: from the ground, look for missing or lifted shingles, damaged flashing and branches on the roof. Leave climbing up and removing limbs to the pros.
• Gutters and downspouts: check that they're attached and draining away from the house, not pooling against the foundation.
• Walls, windows and doors: look for cracked stucco, damaged siding and broken seals around windows, where wind-driven rain gets in.

Inside the house

• Ceilings: look for new stains, sagging or bubbling paint, especially in upstairs rooms and around light fixtures and vents.
• Attic: if you can get into it safely, check for wet insulation, damp wood and daylight coming through.
• Walls and windows: look below windows for stains, peeling paint and swollen baseboards, and press gently on any spots that look darker.
• Smell: a musty smell can mean moisture trapped inside a wall or ceiling, even when nothing shows yet.

Document it and dry it out

Photograph the damage before you clean up, for your insurance claim. Get wet areas drying right away with fans and dehumidifiers, because mold can start within 24 to 48 hours. Wet drywall that's soft or sagging will need to be replaced. See how water-damaged drywall is repaired and protecting your drywall during hurricane season.

Storm and water damage repair in Orlando

Once the source is fixed and the area is dry, New Ceilings replaces water-damaged drywall, repairs stained and sagging ceilings and matches the texture and paint across Orlando and Central Florida. Every job starts with a free written quote. See water damage repair.