There's nothing quite like that sinking feeling when you hear tiles sliding off your roof during a storm, or wake up to find water pouring through your ceiling after a night of high winds. Storm damage is stressful and often expensive, but how you respond in the hours and days afterwards can make a real difference to both the repair cost and the success of any insurance claim.
LT Leadwork & Roofing has helped numerous Surrey homeowners through the aftermath of storms, from initial emergency protection through to completed repairs and insurance documentation, with a straightforward, honest approach throughout.
Here in Surrey, we experience our fair share of severe weather - Atlantic storms bringing gusts that can exceed 70mph in autumn and winter, heavy rain that tests every weakness in a roof's defences, and even summer downpours that catch homeowners off guard. This guide covers what to do immediately after storm damage, how to assess its severity, navigating insurance, and what to expect from repairs.
Immediate Steps After Storm Damage
Safety comes first, always. Keep people, especially children, away from fallen tiles and debris, since they're heavy and can cause serious injury if they continue to fall, and never climb onto the roof yourself - surfaces may be slippery, damaged tiles can break underfoot, and conditions generally aren't safe for non-professionals without proper equipment. Once it's safe to do so, photograph the damage thoroughly from ground level, both outside and any resulting damage inside the property, since these photos are invaluable for insurance purposes and help contractors understand what they're dealing with before they arrive.
Never climb onto a storm-damaged roof yourself. The worst storm damage we've repaired has sometimes been to homeowners rather than roofs - leave roof-level access entirely to trained professionals with the right equipment.
Protect your property from further damage where you safely can - place buckets to catch water, move furniture and valuables clear, and use temporary sheeting or boarding from inside if there's a broken window or obvious hole. Contact your insurance company early, since most policies require prompt notification and some require approval before repair work begins, and having photographs ready will help this conversation go smoothly.
Assessing the Damage
Some storm damage is obvious - tiles in the garden, daylight visible through the loft, water cascading down the stairs - while other damage is more subtle and might not appear until the next rainfall. Missing or displaced tiles are the most common form, as high winds can lift, slide or break tiles entirely, and ridge tiles are particularly vulnerable since the mortar bedding holding them can crack and crumble over time before a storm provides the final push. Flashing damage often occurs too, especially where mortar securing lead flashing has already deteriorated at the junction between roof and any vertical surface.
Less obvious damage includes cracked tiles that haven't yet fallen, displaced pointing in valleys, and damaged or blocked gutters, none of which cause immediate problems but which can lead to leaks if not addressed. From inside, check your loft for daylight showing through, new damp patches, or disturbed insulation, and check upstairs ceilings for new stains, remembering that water can travel a considerable distance along timbers before appearing - our guide to roof leak detection explains this in detail.
Emergency Repairs and Temporary Protection
When storm damage has breached your roof's weatherproofing, temporary protection is often needed while permanent repairs are arranged, particularly if heavy rain is forecast. Professional emergency tarping involves securely covering the damaged area with heavy-duty sheeting, weighted and fixed to prevent wind getting underneath, and done properly can keep water out for weeks if necessary - it's not really a DIY job unless the area is very small and easily accessible, as our guide on safe temporary repairs explains further.
Be wary of unsolicited callers. Storms bring out opportunistic "roofers" knocking on doors - some are legitimate, but others are chancers with no insurance and inflated prices, so always check credentials thoroughly before engaging anyone who cold-calls after a storm.
Navigating the Insurance Process
Most home insurance policies cover storm damage, but handling the claim correctly from the outset makes everything smoother. Notify your insurer promptly, document everything including the date, time and weather conditions, and be accurate about any pre-existing condition of the roof, since insurers may argue that damage resulted from lack of upkeep rather than storm action. Get multiple quotes for repairs even if your insurer has preferred contractors, and understand that policy excesses apply to storm claims just as with any other - for minor damage close to your excess, it's sometimes more economical to pay privately, while for significant damage a claim almost always makes sense.
Full guidance available: our dedicated roof insurance claims guide covers documentation, assessment, and common reasons claims get reduced or rejected in far more detail.
The Repair Process
Once assessments are complete and any insurance approvals are in place, permanent repairs can proceed. A detailed inspection usually comes first, since a thorough check before repair often reveals additional issues not visible from ground level. Material sourcing can take time too - matching existing tiles on older properties isn't always straightforward, and quality repairs address root causes rather than just visible damage, since new tiles on rotten battens will simply fail again. When work is complete, you should receive documentation including what was done, any warranties, and photographs, which matters for insurance purposes as much as your own records.
Preventing Future Storm Damage
While you can't storm-proof a roof completely, good maintenance significantly reduces the risk and the severity of any damage that does occur. Regular inspections catch loose tiles and deteriorating mortar in calm conditions rather than during a gale, prompt repairs stop a slightly wobbly ridge tile becoming a missing one, and keeping nearby trees well managed protects against falling branches during high winds.
If your Surrey home has suffered storm damage, or you're concerned about your roof's resilience ahead of storm season, call us on 07566 234868. We offer emergency response, thorough assessments, and quality repairs across Reigate, Epsom, Dorking, Banstead and Leatherhead - we're here to help protect your home whenever you need us.
If you'd like to know more about how we approach this kind of work, visit our Roofing Repairs service page for full details, example photos and FAQs.
6 min