If the recent rain storms,  have resulted in water entering your home, or if you are concerned your home may have from South Florida storm damage, this article is for you.

The past few weeks have been incredibly wet for South Florida homeowners.  Florida residents have gotten a huge soaking from the recent days of nonstop rainstorms.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there will be much sunshine in the near future.

South Florida Flood Damage
After days of rain, our neighborhood had flooding everyplace.

While the neighborhood kids love playing in the flooded streets, many homeowners are not as happy, especially once the water from the storm has entered their home.  Wet weather in South Florida, is a fact of life.  As a Florida homeowner, it’s important to prepare your home for the wet weather.   In addition, it’s also important to know what to do when faced with South Florida storm damage.

In a hurricane or heavy storm water can enter your home in many different ways.  If your property is not graded correctly floodwater could flow toward your home, and enter through your homes foundation.  Floodwater could also run up against your homes door or sliding doors and pass through the spaces around your doors.  In addition, if you have roof damage, the rainwater from a storm could slip through your damaged roof.  In our years working as a Public Insurance Adjuster in Palm Beach County, we have documented many different ways in which water from a storm can enter your home.

South Florida home roof damaged by a storm.
One flying tree branch could punch a hole like this in any roof or a South Florida home.

Check out this picture above.  This roof damage occurred after a tree branch hit this roof.  Looking at this picture, you can clearly see the insulation in the homes attic.  Once rain water enters into the roof, the insulation acts like a sponge, soaking up the water and moisture.  When this happens, it doesn’t take long fo mold to grow.  Read this article on mold growth.  Understanding mold.

Here are some ways that water from a storm or hurricane can enter your home.

 1- Clogged or damaged gutters.  

If your home has clogged or damaged gutters, the water from a storm can spill against the seams of a window and enter your home.  In addition, water can pool against your home’s foundation and enter through your home’s exterior walls.  Gutters are supposed to direct water from a storm away from your home preventing the running water from getting too close to your house.

2- Damaged roof leaks.

During a storm or hurricane, tree branches or other debris can easily become high-speed projectiles.  With winds speeds reaching well over 150 miles per hour, any item can impact a home causing serious damage.  Once a flying tree branch, or roof tile hits a roof, the force of the impact can create a crack or punch a hole completely through the roof.   Some of these impacts will create a large hole that is noticed immediately, other times the damage is subtle and not noticed until the resulting water damage becomes apparent.

3- Rainwater can seep through a home’s windows or exterior walls.

When a new home is constructed the exterior walls are supposed to get a special weather repelling coating along with waterproof caulking.   After several years, this caulking and coating can start to deteriorate, leaving the home vulnerable to harsh weather.  It’s easy for a homeowner to assume that a concrete block wall coated with stucco, could keep rainwater from entering your home.  The truth is, once the water proofing breaks down, a home becomes vulnerable to the outside elements.

In a heavy rainstorm or hurricane, wind-driven rain can easily find its way through hairline cracks, or deteriorating window seals.

4-Rain water can also enter your home through roof vents.

According to FEMA, high winds can result in water intrusion through roof vents.  Water Intrusion through roof vents.

Once the rainwater enters your home through a roof vent, the rainwater soaks into the insulation.  Because a homes attic has no air circulation, the trapped moisture grows mold quickly.  Often homeowners have no idea what is growing in the attic above their living space.   Eventually home occupants may start to become ill from the mold spores.  Sometimes homeowners pick up on the fact that their home smells musty and they will call us to investigate.  In the weeks after a heavy rainstorm, we have inspected many home and found mold growth.    Sometimes homeowners, have no idea that their home has vents that could allow outside moisture to enter their attic.

If you live in South Florida and believe you have suffered storm damage, call us for a free home inspection.  We are based in Boynton Beach and serve all of Palm Beach County, Martin County and Broward County.  Our office address is 1263 Gondola Ct, Boynton Beach, FL 33426

How to check your home after a heavy rainstorm or hurricane.

 Once a rain storm passes and your neighborhood is left soaked with small floods, downed trees, and freshly watered lawns, it’s time for homeowners to check for Florida storm damage.  After a storm, spending some time looking for signs of home damage could save a homeowner thousands of dollars.  Checking you home for possible water damage could only take minutes to a few hours and is well worth your efforts.   After a storm hits South Florida, there is actually no reason why a homeowner couldn’t give their home a good, once over.

BELOW: A water stain like this could easily get overlooked by a homeowner.  Stains like this subtle one, hidden in the corner of a bedroom, indicates there is more trouble brewing.  This is a clear sign that South Florida storm damage has occurred.  The only question is, how much damage is hidden behind this stain?  This should NOT be ignored.  Some insurance adjusters, may tell the homeowner to simply repaint this one area.  Often this course of action is a huge mistake.  While the wall may dry, there is a big chance the inside the wall, mold is growing.  As the mold grows, it will spread through out your entire home.  As a Public Adjuster in South Florida, we have special equipment that will determine if there is moisture or mold hiding inside the wall,

Water stain in a South Florida home.

The first and easiest storm damage check to perform is to visually look over your interior home walls.  Look over your homes ceiling and walls for brown watermarks.  Give some extra attention to the corners of your walls.  If there is water in your attic, the tendency is for the water to find it’s way to the corners of your interior walls.  Check along your homes floors for brown marks or pools of water.  If you find anything that looks suspicious call us for a free home inspection.   If your home is located in, Boynton Beach, Wellington, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Stuart, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Parkland, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, or any other Palm Beach County, Broward or Martin County, call us.  Our goal is the help homeowners save money and stress after from Florida storm damage.

Once you have checked the interior of your home, look over the exterior of your home.  Look for any visible signs of damage or debris on your homes roof.   If you see any tree branches or pieces of other debris sitting on your homes roof, this is a sign that impacts have occurred during the storm.  Even small pieces of roof tiles, branches, or garden debris could hit your home at high speeds, punching a hole through your home.  If you find any holes or cracks on your roof call us at (561) 789-4369 for a free home inspection.

If you are faced with South Florida Storm Damage in Boca Raton, Wellington, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Parkland, Palm Beach, Jupiter, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Stuart, Port St Lucie, or Any part of Palm Beach County, Broward or Martin County, we hope you find this article useful.  If your home is damaged and you need to talk to an experienced South Florida Public Adjuster call is at (561) 789-4369.

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