After the Storm: Check House for Damage
by Thomas Kraeutler
The season's first nor'easter did plenty of damage to area homes. Wind and rain that tore through the eastern part of the country, flooded basements, washed out foundations and ripped shingles from roofs like they weren't nailed. Home owners are wise to check the house carefully for any damage that may have occurred.
Obvious damage - like a broken window - is easy to spot. But, if you don't look closely, little problems could be missed and develop into big repair bills later.
Foundation Failures
Heavy accumulations of water can cause house foundations to become weak and fail. Check yours carefully by looking along both outdoor and indoor walls for any areas that may be cracked or bulging. If things look good for now, check again over the next several weeks. Water can wash out soil under the footings that hold up the house and not show up as a problem until months after the storm. Watch out for interior walls that crack or doors that get stuck. This could mean the foundation has been damaged and the house is shifting. If you see anything out of the ordinary, don't make any repairs yourself. Call in an expert, like a professional home inspector, for advice before any work is begun.
Flooded Fixtures
Any electrical component, like an outlet, appliance or furnace that has been below flood waters should be replaced. Contaminants in the water can cause serious damage to sensitive electrical components. Besides malfunctioning, they could even result in electrical fires. If your heating system has been flooded out, have it checked by an expert heating and cooling contractor or home inspector. In many cases, individual parts can be changed without it becoming necessary to replace the entire unit.
Basement Blues
If your basement has flooded from the storm, don't panic. Severe weather can cause even the driest basement to turn into an indoor swimming pool. Remove damaged belongings and dry the basement with fans. Then, avoid future problems by checking outside for any loose or disconnected gutters and fix any that you find. Look for washed out soil along the foundation walls. If this has happened, regrade the area by adding clean fill dirt and slope it away from the house.
Windward Woes
Winter winds can rip through the outer skin of your house and cause damage in many areas. Examine every side of your house from the ground. Check for loose siding, metal trim and loose soffits. If these parts are loose or missing - leaks can develop. Look for cracked, loose or broken window panes and fix any you find. Check the closers and safety chains on storm doors to see if they've been bent or broken by the wind. Next, check the roof with binoculars. Wind can cause shingles to blow off and roof antennas to collapse. Even the best roofs can leak under extreme conditions. Driving rain can "push up" under the roof shingles and result in major leaks. If this has happened, repairs may not be necessary unless the shingles have been damaged. These leaks are not likely to reoccur with normal rainfall. Also, look for loose flashing around the chimney and plumbing vents. Wind can loosen the flashing and cause leaks if it is not tight.
Cleaning Up
When the cleaning up after the storm, be sure to use a good quality disinfectant on all floor and wall surfaces. Flood waters can be contaminated with all sorts of bacteria that can be an unwelcome guest in your home. When using commercial disinfectants, make sure you ventilate the house or use an environmentally safe mix of one cup of Borax in a bucket of hot water.
If you have been affected by the flood and find it's more that you can handle, reach out for help. The American Red Cross has offices in virtually every county and their number is in the phone book. Red Cross workers are experts in disaster relief and can provide guidance as well as access to many programs designed to help you get back on dry land.
Tom Kraeutler is a hands-on home improvement broadcast journalist and the kind of guy homeowners want to call at midnight when their basement floods. He earned his home improvement stripes as a professional home inspector, amassing over 20 years experience learning how houses are put together, and how they fall apart! Tom appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC, The History Channel, HGTV and the DIY Network. He's a columnist for House Beautiful and do! Magazine and his work has been featured in Smart Money, Reader's Digest and in hundreds of daily newspapers across the nation.
