6 min read
Quick answer: after a tropical storm or hurricane passes, the damage that costs South Florida homeowners the most is usually the damage nobody sees for months: lifted roof tiles and shingles, displaced flashing, a hairline gap at a window frame, or water tracking quietly through the attic. A walk-around in October, followed by a professional post-storm inspection if anything looks off, catches those problems while they are still small.
October is a strange month here. The weather starts to soften, the afternoon storms ease off, and it feels like the season is over. It is not. Atlantic hurricane season officially runs until November 30, and some of the storms that have hit Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties arrived late in the year. That makes October the right time to look back at what the summer did to your house, and to get ready for anything still to come.
Why storm damage hides so well
Wind and water do not usually announce themselves with a hole in the roof. Far more often the damage looks like nothing at all from the ground:
- Wind-lifted roof covering. A gust can lift a shingle or break the adhesive under a tile and set it back down almost exactly where it was. It looks fine, but it is no longer sealed.
- Displaced flashing. Metal flashing at walls, skylights, vents and chimneys can shift a fraction of an inch. That is enough for wind-driven rain to get behind it.
- Window and door frames. A hairline separation at a window frame or a sliding door track lets water into the wall cavity, where it can sit for months.
- Soffit and fascia. Loose or damaged soffit panels let rain and pests into the attic and weaken the roof edge for the next storm.
In a climate this humid, the time between when water gets in and when you see a stain on a ceiling is where the real damage happens: wet insulation, rotting roof decking, and conditions that can lead to microbial growth inside the walls.
A homeowner's October walk-around
You do not need to climb on the roof (please do not). A careful look from the ground and from inside the house tells you a lot.
Outside
- Look at the roof from across the street and from the back yard. Are any tiles cracked, slipped or missing? Are shingle edges curled or lifted?
- Check the ground and gutters for granules, tile fragments or pieces of flashing.
- Walk the perimeter and look at window and door frames, stucco cracks, and the soffit and fascia along the roof edge.
- Look at the fence, pool cage and any large trees near the house. A leaning tree or damaged screen enclosure is worth dealing with before the next storm.
Inside
- Check ceilings, especially near exterior walls and around light fixtures and vents, for stains, bubbling paint or sagging drywall.
- Look at window sills and the floor below sliding doors for water marks or swollen trim.
- If your attic is safely accessible, look (with a flashlight, from the hatch) for wet insulation, dark streaks on the roof decking, or daylight where there should not be any.
- Notice musty smells in closets on exterior walls. In South Florida, a musty smell is often the first sign of trapped moisture.
If you find any of these, do not wait for the next rain to "see if it gets worse." It will.
When to call for a post-storm inspection
A post-storm inspection is a thorough evaluation of the home's exterior and interior to identify storm-related damage and conditions that need attention. At Billings Home Inspections our inspectors look at accessible areas of the roof, exterior surfaces, windows and doors, electrical components, the attic, interior areas, and other key systems for visible signs of damage and water intrusion.
It makes sense when:
- A named storm passed close by, even if the house looks fine.
- You see any of the warning signs above and want to know how far the problem goes.
- You are talking to your insurance company or a contractor and need photo documentation of what is actually there.
- You own a seasonal home that sat empty through the summer storms.
Where moisture is suspected, infrared thermal imaging helps us find temperature patterns behind drywall and beneath roof assemblies that point to water long before staining appears. We confirm every thermal anomaly with a moisture meter and a visual check before it goes into the report.
You receive a detailed, photo-documented report of what we found and what we recommend, which you can share with your contractor, property manager or insurance professional.
Use the quiet months to get ahead of next season
Once the season winds down, fall and early winter are the best time to put your home on a stronger footing for next year:
- Get a current wind mitigation report on file. A wind mitigation inspection documents how your roof is attached to the house, the roof-to-wall connections, and your opening protection. It is not pass or fail, and for many Florida homeowners it supports real insurance premium credits. A report is typically valid for 5 years.
- Know where your roof stands. If your carrier is asking about roof age or condition, a roof certification documents covering type, age, condition and estimated remaining service life.
- Fix small problems now. A slipped tile or a loose piece of flashing is a small repair in November. After water has been getting in all winter, it is not.
Local experience matters
Storm damage on a 1970s ranch in Royal Palm Beach does not look like storm damage on a newer tile-roof home in Wellington or a coastal condo in Jupiter. Billings Home Inspections has been inspecting homes across Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and North Broward counties for more than two decades, and we know where water likes to get in on the homes in our area. You can read more about the communities we serve on our Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach County pages.
Get a professional set of eyes on it
If the summer brought a close call, or you simply want peace of mind before the season is officially over, we are happy to help. Contact us for a quote on a post-storm inspection, wind mitigation or roof certification.
Call Billings Home Inspections at 561-644-0279 or schedule your inspection online.