December 19, 2024 · 7 min read · Storm Prep
After the storm: the order that protects your home
The wind has dropped, and there is tile on the lawn or a new stain on the ceiling. What you do next is simple if you take it in order: safety, a record of the damage, protection for the inside of the house, and then an inspection that ends in photos and a written scope.
Molsbee Roofing has repaired storm-damaged roofs in Palm Beach County since 1975, from our shop in Lake Worth Beach. This is the sequence we walk homeowners through after every storm season, June through November, and after the fronts and tornadoes that arrive outside it.
Step one: is it safe?
- Stay off the roof. Wet surfaces, loose tile and weakened decking are how people get hurt after storms.
- Look for downed lines near the house and keep clear.
- Check each room for water on the ceiling, around light fixtures and at the tops of walls. If water is near electrical fixtures, cut power to that area at the breaker if you can do it safely.
- If a ceiling is sagging with water, keep people out of that room.
Step two: record what you see
Before anything is cleaned up or moved, photograph it.
- Outside, from the ground: each side of the house, wide enough to show the whole slope, then closer shots of missing tile, lifted shingles, bent edge metal or a broken ridge.
- Debris: pieces of the roof on the lawn, driveway or pool deck, where they landed.
- Inside: every stain, drip and wet spot, plus damaged belongings.
- Notes: the storm date, when you noticed the damage and what you did about it.
A narrated walk-around video works well too. For anything beyond the roof, talk to your insurer about their process.
Step three: stop more water getting in
A temporary dry-in comes first when water is entering. Done properly, a tarp runs up and over the ridge so water cannot run under its top edge, and it is held with wood battens fastened through the tarp rather than rocks or tape. On tile, loose pieces are removed or secured so they do not become debris in the next gust, and an open penetration is sealed. Inside, catch drips, move furniture and cover what stays put. Temporary protection is there to stop water getting in; talk to your insurer about their process.
Step four: what does a storm inspection look for?
Storm damage often hides in plain sight. What we check depends on the roof:
- Tile. Cracked or displaced pieces, and tile that looks seated but has broken its foam adhesive or mortar bond. Hip and ridge tile take the most uplift and are checked piece by piece.
- Shingle. Creased tabs and broken seal strips. A shingle that lifted and lay back down still has a broken seal, and it will lift again in the next wind.
- Metal. Panels or trim that have moved, pulled fasteners, and bent seams.
- Edges and flashing. Edge metal that has lifted, wall and chimney flashing that has pulled away, and seals at vents and AC stands.
- The attic. Wet decking, daylight, staining and the connections between the trusses and the walls.
After a tornado, we go further. The EF3 tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024 tore through Wellington and The Acreage, and on houses in a path like that we check truss connections and deck attachment, not only the covering.
What can an inspection not see?
The underlayment and deck under tile or shingle that is still in place cannot be confirmed from above. If the attic shows water under a section that looks fine outside, that section needs a closer look. Where it is safe, we lift a tile or open a small area, and we explain what that involves before doing it.
How does Molsbee document storm damage?
The process does not change from storm to storm. A free roof inspection comes first. Then photos of the findings, organized by slope, so you can see exactly where each piece of damage is and how it relates to the stains inside. Then a written scope with the price before any permanent work starts, naming each repair, the materials and the attachment method. You decide what to do with it; we do not ask you to sign over a claim check.
What local rules shape the permanent repair?
Palm Beach County roofs are built to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition, in the wind-borne debris region, so a permanent storm repair is designed for your house's wind band: 150 mph inland, 160 mph on most of the mainland and 170 mph on the barrier islands. Replacement tile or shingle is fastened to that schedule, not to whatever held the old piece.
The quarter-roof rule often decides the outcome after a big storm. Florida's quarter-roof rule: when more than a quarter of a roof system or section is repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period, the roof covering across that entire system or section must be replaced or recovered to meet current code requirements. An exception applies if that system or section was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition: only the portion being repaired, replaced or recovered must meet applicable current code requirements. Our inspection helps determine which applies to your roof. When damage on several slopes crosses that line, the answer is often a re-roof of that system or section, and on the re-roofs we build the old covering comes off, the deck is re-nailed and a secondary water barrier goes on before the new roof.
Historic districts add a step. In West Palm Beach's El Cid, Flamingo Park and Old Northwood, exterior changes go through historic staff first, and the city favors in-kind replacement, so the repair tile must match the existing profile and color. We photograph the tile blend, ridge and eave details during the inspection to make the match. On clay barrel tile, detach-and-reset keeps the original tile: we lift it, replace the underlayment and reset the same tile, with crews in protective, safe footwear on the roof.
What should you watch out for after a storm?
- A door-to-door crew pushing to sign the same week. Check the Florida license first.
- Throwing away damaged tile or shingle before it is photographed.
- Permanent repairs before the damage is documented.
- Signing over a claim check to a contractor.
- Waiting on a small leak. Wet decking and insulation get worse with each rain.
The contractor behind the photos
When a storm scatters roofers across the county, the questions are simple: licensed, local and accountable. Molsbee has been all three since 1975, under Florida certified roofing contractor license CCC1327429, as a GAF Certified Contractor and an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor. Storm repairs carry our lifetime workmanship warranty alongside the manufacturers' product warranties, and when the work is finished we provide a roof certification letter for your insurer. More on the work itself: roof repairs and maintenance.
Call when the house is safe
Once the inside is protected, call Molsbee Roofing at (561) 318-8624 or request a free roof inspection. You will get photos of what we find and a written scope with the price before any permanent work begins.
