Keep away from loose roof components after storm damage and record observations from a safe position. Distinguish immediate danger, temporary protection and permanent repair, because each requires a separate decision and an appropriate response.
How can you record damage without adding risk?
Loose tiles, damaged gutters and projecting membrane sections may remain hazardous after the strongest wind has passed. Keep clear of the area below and do not climb onto the roof to investigate. An overview from a safe indoor position or suitable distance provides useful initial information. Immediate danger requires appropriate emergency assistance.
When calling, explain what is visible and whether residents or passers-by could be affected. Sending a website form does not confirm that somebody is immediately attending. A detailed inventory can wait until the situation can be assessed safely by someone with suitable access arrangements.
How do you describe damage without premature diagnosis?
Record when the change was discovered and which component appears displaced, missing or newly leaking. Compare older photographs where available. Discovery during a storm does not establish that every defect was caused solely by that event. Existing deterioration, previous repairs and concealed damage may also be relevant.
Separate observations from assumptions, and do not loosen components to collect additional evidence. Owners, association boards and insurers can use a dated, factual account more effectively than a confident cause statement that later proves unsupported. Keep any previous inspection reports with the new information so changes can be compared.
How should temporary protection be scoped?
Temporary protection aims to make an exposed or unsafe situation manageable. It is not automatically a permanent repair or full renovation. Ask what the temporary measure covers, which limitations remain and when a further assessment is needed. Establish who will check that the provision continues to function.
For shared roofs, identify the person authorised to instruct the work on behalf of the owners. The agreed work and any additional costs need separate confirmation; temporary protection does not automatically define the scope of permanent renewal. Retain the written description and photographs of the temporary arrangement so the later repair can take that intervention into account.
Which adjacent components should be checked?
Where a tile is missing, surrounding tiles, fixings and junctions may also need attention. A detached roof edge raises questions about the connection between trim, substrate and membrane. Ask which components will be inspected and which will actually be replaced. This prevents a proposal from addressing only the most visible damage while related defects remain unexamined.
The permanent repair description should define its boundaries and any outstanding investigation. Record changes from the temporary arrangement and retain a completion summary for the building file or owners’ association. That record will also help distinguish future changes from already documented damage.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put loose tiles back myself?
No. Do not enter a damaged roof to reposition components. Safety, access and the condition of surrounding materials need to be assessed first.
Does temporary covering mean the roof is repaired?
Not necessarily. Clarify the purpose of the temporary measure, outstanding investigation and when a permanent repair proposal will be discussed.
Which records should you keep for permanent repairs?
Keep dated overview photographs and a description of temporary measures. A later assessment can then account for changes already made after the storm.