Home repairs can be expensive, both in time and money. But the longer your home goes without repair, the more damage it’s likely to sustain. Insight Restoration is available 24/7 to help you with repairs, but you may not always be able to fix your home up right away. There are a few steps you can take to prevent further damage to your home and help make tarp and board clean-up a breeze.
Board Up and Use Tarps
The best way to protect your home while saving or waiting for repairs is to utilize boards and tarps for external damage. Smashed windows can be remedied with plastic and tape. Carefully remove any shards of glass and then cover the window with a sheet of plastic, using tape to secure the edges. Test the hold with a hose first to make sure the seal is tight enough to prevent leaking. If you live in a particularly cold area, use layers of bubble wrap between the plastic and the window to help with insulation. Smaller cracks can be temporarily fixed with glue or clear nail polish.
More extensive breaks may need to be tarped or boarded up with wood. Larger openings in the side of your house can be temporarily fixed with plywood, nailed down to prevent strong winds from adding more damage. A tarp between the wood and the wall will also help prevent water and other environmental hazards from getting in. Tarps and boards can also be used on your roof to prevent further damage caused by missing or loose shingles.
Take Notes for Insurance
Even if you have homeowners’ or renters’ insurance, it can take a while for your claim to go through and even longer to get the money you need to make repairs. Keeping a detailed list of the damages in your home and yard will help the process move along. Depending on your policy, insurance may even cover damages that accumulate because of repair time.
When waiting to get your home repaired, take pictures of the damages you find as soon as you find them. For each one, make a note of what the damage is, how extensive, and when it was noted. Damages that are related to the initial problem could be covered, even if they were found days or weeks after the incident.
Waiting for time or money to repair your home can lead to further damage, but by properly boarding up and utilizing tarps, you can lessen its impact on your house. Keeping detailed notes with photos for insurance can also help reimburse you for damages incurred while waiting.
If you need home repairs or materials, call Insight Restoration at (208) 427-2962 for quick and reliable service. And when our certified and experienced technicians finish repairing your home, we can even help with a quick and easy tarp and board clean-up.
