Summer Property Damage Prevention
Summer in Southeast Wisconsin brings warmer temperatures, severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and increased outdoor activity. While these seasonal conditions create opportunities to enjoy your home and property, they can also increase the risk of property damage from strong winds, hail, basement flooding, electrical hazards, and excessive moisture.
Taking preventative steps throughout the summer can help homeowners protect their properties, identify potential problems early, and reduce the risk of costly repairs. From preparing for severe weather to maintaining drainage systems and inspecting essential home components, understanding common summer property risks can help keep your home safe throughout the season.
In this guide, we'll cover important summer property damage prevention tips for homeowners throughout Southeast Wisconsin.
Severe Weather & Storm Risk:
Monitor Severe Weather Forecasts
During the summer months, Southeast Wisconsin can experience severe thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Regularly monitor local weather forecasts and pay attention to watches and warnings. Staying informed gives you time to secure outdoor belongings, prepare your property, and move your family to safety when necessary.
Secure Outdoor Furniture and Loose Items
Before thunderstorms or high winds arrive, secure outdoor furniture, grills, patio décor, planters, and other loose belongings. Items left unsecured can become airborne during strong winds and damage your home, vehicles, or neighboring properties. Store loose items indoors whenever possible.
Inspect Trees and Remove Hazardous Branches
Inspect trees around your property for dead, weak, or overhanging branches that could break during high winds or severe storms. Removing hazardous limbs before storm season can help reduce the risk of damage to your roof, vehicles, and surrounding property. Consider having large or potentially dangerous branches evaluated by a qualified tree professional.
Enable Emergency Weather Alerts
Enable emergency weather alerts and notifications on your phone or other devices so you can receive timely warnings about severe thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Make sure household members know where to seek shelter when severe weather threatens.
Inspect Your Roof After Severe Storms
Once conditions are safe, inspect your home's exterior for signs of storm damage. Look for missing or damaged shingles, hail impacts, lifted flashing, fallen branches, and other visible signs of damage. Addressing roofing concerns early can help prevent water intrusion, interior damage, and more costly repairs.
What to Do If Your Home Experiences Summer Property Damage
Even with proper preparation and routine maintenance, summer storms, heavy rainfall, plumbing failures, and accidental fires can still cause unexpected property damage.
If your home experiences damage, taking the appropriate steps can help protect your family and limit further deterioration.
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Prioritize Safety: Stay away from electrical hazards, unstable structures, and other potentially dangerous conditions. Contact emergency services when necessary.
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Stop Further Damage: If it is safe to do so, shut off the water supply or address the source of the problem.
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Document the Damage: Take photos and videos of affected areas and damaged belongings when it is safe.
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Contact Your Insurance Provider: Report the damage and ask about documentation requirements and emergency mitigation.
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Arrange Professional Restoration: Depending on the situation, water extraction, structural drying, fire and smoke cleanup, or storm damage restoration may be necessary.
Protect Your Southeast Wisconsin Home This Summer with Damage Control Inc.
Summer property maintenance is an important part of protecting your home from severe weather, heavy rainfall, fire hazards, and other seasonal risks. From securing outdoor belongings and maintaining drainage systems to inspecting your roof and monitoring basement moisture, taking preventative measures can help reduce the risk of unexpected property damage.
However, even well-maintained homes can experience damage from severe storms, plumbing failures, and other unexpected emergencies.
Damage Control Inc. provides professional water, fire, storm, and mold damage restoration services throughout Southeast Wisconsin. Our experienced team is available 24/7 to help homeowners respond to unexpected property damage and begin the restoration process.
If your home experiences property damage this summer, contact Damage Control Inc. for professional restoration assistance.
