Storms throughout the end of summer and early autumn months have been known to rip through neighborhoods, leaving behind a trail of damage to homes that were along the path. Strong winds, hail, heavy rains, and trees that are knocked down can all be devastating to windows, especially if they are an older style window. If the windows in your home become damaged due to a storm, here are a few things you will want to remember before having them replaced.
Keep Safe
If your windows have been broken and the storm is still raging on, keep yourself and any family members away from the area. Don’t make an attempt to clean the mess until after the storm has passed. If the wind and rain slow down enough, you may want to cover the broken window with a cover or blanket, but other than that remain in an interior room of the house until the weather passes through. Once the storm is over, you may want to use something to clear away any broken pieces of glass that remain in the window frame.
Look over the damage
Once the storm has passed on and the coast is clear, go outside of your home to see just how much damage has been created. Take the time to walk around the home checking other windows and while you are at it, glance over the siding and the roof of your home. Take your time with the walk around. Make sure you check your entire house from top to bottom. It is better to have an idea of all the damage that has been done before making phone calls to have anything repaired or replaced.
Prevent further damage
Once you have taken the time to assess all of the damage and called your insurance provider, you will want to take the steps necessary to prevent any more damage from happening to your home. It is a good idea to discuss this with the insurance company in order to make sure you are not doing anything that would create problems with your policy details. Plywood and/or plastic will normally be enough to temporarily fix an issue with a broken window. Make sure you have removed all of the broken glass from the surrounding area in order to prevent harm or injury to a small child or someone visiting your home.