Bang! A tree falls in your yard or on your house, and for a few minutes you’re terrified. Is everyone all right? What does the damage look like? After those few minutes are up, you start to regroup and make a plan. When your home has been damaged by a tree or branch, here are some steps to take.

Make Sure You Are Safe

You’ve probably already checked to make sure that your family members and pets are safe. Now it’s time to stay safe. If a tree has gone through the roof or side of your building, you need to get out of the house. Go into your yard or onto the street, watching for any wires that the tree may have knocked down. Call emergency services if you are concerned about injuries or serious structural damage. The fire department can make sure that your home is secure.

Call Your Insurance Company

If the tree has fallen in your yard and hasn’t damaged anything, you can move on and call a tree removal professional. However, if the tree has damaged your home, outbuildings, or significant landscaping structures, it’s time to contact your insurance company. Even if it is after hours, they likely have an emergency line. They can advise you on the best companies to call and the next steps you need to take to restore your home.

Take Photos

If it’s safe to be around your home, take photos of the damage from different angles. This helps your insurance company to understand what happened. It also helps you document the extent of the damage.

Arrange for Restoration and Removal

After you’ve gotten instructions from your insurer, it’s time to contact tree surgeons and remove the tree from your house. After that, line up a restoration company who can come in and tell you what’s required and how long it may take to repair the damage.

Secure Your Space

If worst comes to worst and you need to move out of your home for days, weeks, or months, you need to make sure that the situation doesn’t get any worse. If you can’t live in your home, remove your valuables and store them. Ask the restoration company to temporarily secure your space so that additional water, snow, and debris stay out.

Find Alternatives

If damage is serious enough that restoration will be long or your structure is compromised, you’ll need to find alternative housing. If you’re lucky and the tree simply hit an outbuilding, you may need to remove items from your shed or other building so that you can repair or replace it.

Deal With the Details

As you work through the restoration process consider what else has been impacted by the tree. You may have lost furniture or outdoor equipment to moisture or other damage, your gutters may need to be replaced, and you may need to restore garden landscaping as well.

Whether you’re working on gutter installation after a storm or you’re trying to upgrade your home, contact Lednor Home Solutions. Our gutter guard and Helmet Heat products make your garden maintenance simpler. While you still need to think about falling branches, our gutter guards mean that falling leaves will no longer be on your mind, and your gutters will run clean and clear. Contact Lednor Home Solutions today to learn more.

Written by Del Thebaud