Storm Damage Repairs in Yorkshire: What to Check First and Who to Call

Immediate Steps After a Storm

Before you inspect anything, safety comes first. After a significant storm, there are a few immediate checks to carry out before you start looking at structural damage.

Check for obvious hazards

Look for downed power lines near or on the property. Do not touch them and do not approach. Contact your electricity network operator immediately if you see any.

Check for gas smells inside the property. If you suspect a gas leak, leave the building, do not use any switches or open flames, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Look for structural instability — cracked walls, a shifted roof line, or a chimney that appears to have moved or partially collapsed. If you have any doubt about the building’s immediate structural safety, do not enter and seek professional advice before going back inside.

Document before you clear up

If you are planning to make an insurance claim, take photographs and video of all visible damage before you start clearing debris or carrying out any temporary repairs. Insurers require evidence of the original condition of the damage.

Keep a record of any emergency work carried out, including receipts and dates, as these may be needed as part of a claim.

Carry out temporary protection where safe to do so

If water is entering the property through a broken window, damaged roof section, or displaced tiles, temporary protection — such as tarpaulins or boarding — can limit further damage while permanent repairs are arranged. Make sure any work at height is carried out safely.

Checking Your Roof and Gutters

The roof is the most commonly affected part of a property during a storm. Even if nothing looks obviously wrong from the ground, a close inspection often reveals damage that is not immediately visible.

What to look for from ground level

• Missing, cracked, or displaced roof tiles or slates — check the ground around the building for tile fragments as well as the roof itself
• Visible gaps in the roof covering, particularly around ridges, hips, and valleys
• A chimney stack that looks shifted, cracked, or has lost pointing
• Gutters that are sagging, detached, or visibly blocked with debris
• Downpipes that have been displaced or disconnected from the wall

Signs of damage to check inside the property

After a storm, check your loft or roof space if it is safe to access. Look for daylight coming through the roof structure, damp patches on the rafters, or any water pooling on the loft floor. These are signs that the roof covering has been breached.

Damp patches on ceilings — particularly in upstairs rooms — can indicate water ingress through the roof. They may not appear immediately; staining can develop over several days as water tracks through the structure.

Why gutters matter after a storm

Blocked or damaged gutters are a common source of water ingress problems. When gutters overflow due to blockages caused by storm debris, water runs down the exterior wall rather than being carried away. Over time, this saturates the wall and can cause damp internally.

Checking and clearing gutters after a storm — and ensuring downpipes are clear and correctly discharging water away from the building — is one of the most straightforward preventive actions a property owner can take.

We Fix Yorkshire carries out roofing and guttering repairs across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, including post-storm inspections and emergency repairs.

Exterior Walls, Brickwork, and Fencing

Strong winds can cause damage to external walls and structures even when the building appears intact from a distance.

Brickwork and mortar joints

Check external walls for new cracks — particularly diagonal cracks at corners, cracks around window and door lintels, and stepped cracks following the mortar joints. These can indicate movement has occurred, either from wind loading or from saturated ground shifting.

Check mortar joints for fresh pointing loss. Existing areas of deteriorated pointing can be worsened significantly by driving rain and wind, accelerating moisture ingress into the wall structure.

Our brickwork repair team covers Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and can assess new cracks or pointing damage following storm events.

Fencing, gates, and boundary structures

Fencing is one of the most commonly damaged structures during storms. Check for panels that have blown out, fence posts that have snapped or become unstable, and gate hinges or fixings that have been damaged or distorted.

A damaged fence is not just an aesthetic issue. Security concerns, liability for neighbouring properties, and boundary disputes can all follow from unaddressed fence damage. It is worth getting repairs carried out promptly rather than leaving panels in a compromised state.

Outbuildings, garages, and extensions

Check garages, sheds, lean-to extensions, and any outbuildings separately. Flat or low-pitched roofing used on extensions and garages is particularly vulnerable to storm damage — lifted felt, displaced flashings, and damaged roof lights are all common issues.

Windows, Doors, and Frames

High winds can damage window frames and door frames even when the glazing itself remains intact.

What to check

• Cracked, broken, or shattered glass — even a hairline crack in a sealed unit will allow moisture ingress and cause the unit to fail
• Window frames that have been distorted or have shifted in their openings — this can cause draughts and prevent proper closing
• Damaged or missing external window board and sill sections
• Door frames that have been forced, racked, or are no longer sitting square — doors that previously closed easily may no longer seal correctly
• Damaged weather seals and draught strips around frames

Boarding up broken windows safely

If a window has been broken in a storm, boarding it up promptly prevents further water ingress and maintains a degree of security. Use exterior-grade plywood fixed securely to the frame. This should be treated as a temporary measure — broken glazing should be replaced by a professional as soon as reasonably practical.

Drainage and Water Ingress

Heavy rainfall combined with drainage that is compromised or overwhelmed is a significant source of storm damage in Yorkshire properties.

Surface water and garden drainage

Check for areas of standing water in the garden, driveway, or around the base of the building. Some surface water after a significant storm is normal and will drain away. Persistent pooling close to the building is more concerning and can indicate that surface drainage is overwhelmed or blocked.

Check that the ground around the property falls away from the building. Water draining towards the building — particularly where there is a basement, lower-ground-floor level, or where the floor level is close to external ground level — is a risk for water ingress.

Blocked gullies and drains

Storm debris — leaves, soil, and garden material — commonly blocks surface water gullies during and after significant rainfall. Check visible gullies and clear any obvious blockages. If external drains are backing up, contact a drainage professional to investigate further.

We Fix Yorkshire provides drain repair and unblocking services across Yorkshire, including post-storm drainage clearance.

Internal signs of water ingress

After a storm, check carefully for any signs that water has entered the building. Look at the base of external walls on the interior, particularly in ground-floor rooms. Check around window reveals and door frames. Check the ceiling beneath any flat roof areas.

Damp patches that were not present before the storm are evidence of a breach somewhere in the building envelope and should be investigated and repaired promptly to prevent further deterioration.

When to Call for Professional Storm Damage Repairs

Some storm damage is straightforward to address yourself. Other situations genuinely need a professional — and getting a professional in promptly prevents secondary damage developing.

Call a professional without delay if:

• The roof has sustained visible structural damage, tiles are missing across a significant area, or water is actively entering the property
• A chimney stack appears to have shifted, cracked, or partially collapsed
• There are new cracks in external walls, particularly diagonal or stepped cracks, suggesting movement
• Water ingress has been confirmed inside the property
• External drainage is backing up or there is sewage at an inspection chamber
• Any electrical fittings, consumer unit, or wiring has been exposed to water — do not attempt to use or restore power yourself; contact a qualified electrician

What We Fix Yorkshire can help with after a storm

We Fix Yorkshire provides multi-trade storm damage repairs across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. Our team covers roofing and tile replacement, guttering repair and reattachment, brickwork and repointing, carpentry repairs to doors, windows and frames, fencing repairs, and drainage clearance.

Rather than coordinating multiple individual contractors after a storm, one call to We Fix Yorkshire covers the full range of property repairs needed. Contact us on 0330 1 333463 or through the website to discuss what needs doing.

Storm Damage and Insurance: What to Know

Most home insurance policies cover storm damage, but the specifics depend on your policy wording. It is worth knowing a few things before you contact your insurer.

What insurers typically cover

Most standard home insurance policies cover sudden and unforeseen storm damage to the building structure — roofs, walls, windows, and permanent fixtures. Storm damage to fences is often excluded or subject to specific limits, so check your policy documents.

What you need to provide

Insurers will normally want photographic evidence of the damage, details of when the storm occurred, and sometimes a repair quote from a qualified contractor. Keep records of any emergency work carried out immediately after the event.

Ongoing maintenance and your claim

Insurers can and do decline claims where pre-existing disrepair has contributed to the extent of damage. A roof in poor condition before a storm that suffers significant damage may face a partial or full denial of claim if the insurer can demonstrate the damage was attributable to lack of maintenance rather than the storm itself. This is one reason why keeping on top of routine maintenance — particularly roofing, guttering, and brickwork — is worthwhile beyond the obvious benefit of preventing problems in the first place.

Reducing Storm Damage Risk Year-Round

You cannot prevent storms, but you can make sure your property is in good enough condition to withstand them without unnecessary damage.

Roof and gutters

• Have your roof inspected every few years, or after you notice any signs of deterioration — cracked tiles, lost ridge mortar, loose flashing
• Clear gutters at least once a year in autumn, and check downpipes are clear and discharging correctly
• Address any loose or slipped tiles before they become a problem in the next period of bad weather

Brickwork and mortar

• Keep mortar joints in good condition — deteriorated pointing allows water into the wall structure during heavy rain and driving wind
• Check for cracks and address them early — small cracks are much cheaper to repair than those that have been left to develop over years

Drainage and surface water

• Keep surface water gullies clear of debris, particularly in autumn
• Check that the ground around the building drains away from the walls rather than towards them

Trees near the property

Large trees close to the property — particularly those with overhanging branches above the roof line — represent a genuine risk during storms. Consider having a tree surgeon assess any significant trees and carry out crown reduction or removal where appropriate. This is something landlords with garden trees should factor into their regular maintenance programme.

We Fix Yorkshire provides emergency reactive maintenance across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire for situations where storm damage needs rapid professional response.