With winter over, it’s time to talk about spring weather preparedness. Storms bring high winds, heavy rains, hail, and other hazardous conditions that could damage your property. We’ve put together a rundown on how to prevent, detect, and repair storm damage to your home.

How protected is your home?

Before the storms roll in, it’s important to assess how protected your home is from the elements. A worn or damaged roof, poor siding, or improperly installed rain carrying system could cause leaks, flooding, mold growth, and structural damage even in mild weather. Severe winds, rain, and hail will put more stress on your home’s exterior.  

How do you detect storm damage?

Some of the most obvious signs of storm damage are fallen trees, sagging gutters, broken windows, shingle debris, and flooded basements. But there are many other subtle signs you should look out for when surveying your basement, ceilings, walls, windows, doors, roof, and siding after a storm:

• Expanding wood, dripping water, or discoloration on the ceiling and walls.
• A musty odor throughout your home.
• Cracked, dented, or missing shingles, vents, or flashing on the roof.
• Dark spots from where roofing granules have been knocked away from asphalt shingles.
• Roofing granules collecting in gutters or discharged from downspouts.
• Dented, cracked, missing, or discolored siding.
• Cracked wood finishes or stripped paint.
• Broken window or door frames, holes and tears in screens, or dents on windowsills and windowpanes.

Following a storm, safety is top priority. Avoid climbing on your roof and be careful around broken windows. If your home has been flooded, contact a water removal company immediately. A professional can examine the extent of damage to your property so you know how much repairs will cost and if you should file an insurance claim.

Who should I contact for storm damage repair?

When a large storm strikes your area, you may have contractors coming to your door offering repair or replacement services. Always check that they are reputable. Ask for their license, proof of insurance, certifications, business address, and Better Business Bureau listing or Angie’s list ratings. Let Spotless & Seamless be your first call for storm damage repair.

Spotless & Seamless Exteriors provides asphalt and metal roofing installation and repair to homeowners throughout Minnesota. As your local steel siding contractor, we also offer United States Seamless® installation. Seamless steel siding is custom-fit to your home on-site, ensuring a flawless, seamless finish. One of the most durable and energy efficient siding materials in the industry, seamless steel will protect your home from the harshest elements.

SSE offers clog-free gutters that keep leaves and twigs out of your rain carrying system so your home can withstand torrential downpours. Rely on our revolutionary Superspout™ to carry rainwater away from your home and protect your foundation from flooding. As a Minneapolis/St. Paul window replacement contractor, we provide a variety of quality windows and doors for homeowners throughout the Twin Cities who have sustained storm damage or are just looking to upgrade.

We’ll take care of the mess and make sure your home is properly repaired with quality materials. Contact Spotless & Seamless Exteriors to learn more and request an estimate.

Water is one of the most powerful forces on earth and can cause major damage to your home. We’ve outlined some ways to detect and prevent water damage from roof leaks and flooding.

The Risks

Water damage can cause black mold growth, ruin your insulation, rot wooden framing, and compromise your home’s foundation, all of which can cost thousands in repairs and jeopardize your family’s safety. When water seeps into your home, it can discolor and stain your ceiling, floors, or walls. If you notice these or other signs of water intrusion, you should inspect your home to determine the cause. 

What causes flooding?

Your rain-carrying system is designed to properly channel runoff water away from the foundation of your home to prevent flooding. Downspouts that are installed too close to your house or that drain toward the basement wall can cause water to pool and erode the soil. In the winter, snow and ice can clog gutters so that they overflow and allow runoff to cascade down your home’s siding and puddle near the foundation. If you have a cracked foundation or poor sealing, low-lying areas in your home like basements or cellars can flood.

What causes roof leaks?

Roof leaks are often caused by damaged or worn roofing materials. The sun can melt the tar that seals shingles together, and shingles may become brittle and crack or rip off entirely from high winds. Rusted flashing, the strip of metal designed to seal joints where the roof meets a wall or chimney, may expose your home to moisture. Damaged boots around vent pipes and corroded mortar on brick chimneys are another culprit. Heavy, clogged gutters may damage the eaves of your roof, causing your soffit and fascia boards to rot. Ice dams allow water to pool on the roof and potentially seep into your home.

How can you prevent roof leaks and flooding?

It’s better to prevent roof leaks and flooding than deal with the aftermath of water damage. Spotless & Seamless Exteriors offers clog-free gutters with a Superspout™ that provides 50 percent more drainage than conventional downspouts. This revolutionary rain-carrying system protects your home from ice dams and flooding.

As a Twin Cities roofing contractor, we offer asphalt and metal roofing, so you can replace your old, worn-out roof and protect your home this season. We also provide routine roofing inspection and repair services so you can maintain your roof and avoid costly damage to your home.

We are a top Minnesota steel siding contractor, offering siding replacement and repair to residents throughout the Minneapolis metro. Steel siding is installed in custom-fit boards that eliminate seams. This airtight seal protects your home from moisture intrusion.

Contact us for more home exterior solutions.