Checking Buildings for Damage: Precautions, Flood and Wind Damage
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR ENTERING DAMAGED BUILDINGS:
1. Check for structural damage. Make sure the building is not in danger of
collapse. If you are unsure of the structural integrity of the building, do not
enter. A building inspector, architect, engineer or professional contractor may
need to inspect the building before you enter.
2. If you must enter a building at night, carry a battery-operated flashlight.
Do not use a flame as a source of light. Do not smoke.
3. Turn off any outside gas lines at the tank or meter. Let the building air
for several minutes to remove gas fumes or odors.
4. Look for obvious electrical problems, shorts, or broken wires. Stay clear of
broken wires and obvious problems. Have a licensed electrician inspect and
repair any damage to your electrical system.
5. Watch for loose ceiling material.
6. Open as many doors and windows as possible to remove moisture, odors, and
flammable or toxic gases. If windows are stuck tight, take off window strips
and remove the entire window sash. If a door is stuck, drive out the door's
hinge pins with a screwdriver and hammer, and remove the door.
FLOOD DAMAGE:
Foundations
If you are not qualified to judge the stability of a foundation, hire a
contractor to make this inspection. Examine foundations and supports for
undermining. If walls or foundations have settled or cracked, stay clear and
call a professional contractor.
Walls and Ceilings
7. Wash out mud, dirt, and debris as soon as possible. Clean walls and floors
before mud and silt dries.
8. Start cleaning from the top floor or upper limits of flooding and work down
toward the first floor.
9. Check walls with a level or plumb bob.
10. Brace walls as necessary.
11. To speed up drying of flooded or wet studding and insulation, remove all
siding strips or plaster from upper and lower parts of the walls. Do not
repaint walls until they are completely dry. This could take several months if
the building has been flooded. Wet insulation is probably ruined and should be
discarded.
Floors
Flooded or wet wooden floors will dry out slowly. Drying too quickly could
cause the floors to crack or split from uneven drying. If the central heating
system is working, keep the temperature of the house at 60 - 70 degrees to
hasten drying without causing additional problems.
12. To prevent further buckling and warping, drive nails where the floor tends
to lift or bulge.
13. After floors are completely dry, plane or sand them level.
14. If floors are too badly damaged to be refinished, lay a new floor over the
old, or cover with carpet, vinyl or linoleum.
15. If a concrete floor is badly damaged, break it up and install a new floor.
If the damage is minor, patch the floor with a rich mixture of concrete
containing no coarse gravel aggregate.
WIND DAMAGE:
Wind damage to buildings is not always readily apparent. After a severe
windstorm, hurricane, or tornado, examine all buildings for hidden damage.
Undetected damage could weaken a structure, creating a hazard. Prompt repair,
even if only temporary, is usually less expensive in the long run.
Roof
Inspect the roof. Check the roof on the inside and outside. Don't check the
roof from the ground unless the structure has severe damage to the walls or
foundation, or it is too steep or too high to climb. If a ground inspection is
necessary, use binoculars. When checking the roof, look for:
16. Damaged or missing shingles. Check asphalt shingles for cracks at the butt
end where they may be weak from flexing. Make sure individual shingles have not
blown off. Thoroughly inspect shingles on the ridge, gable ends, and eaves.
Use plastic sheeting or roll roofing for temporary repair on solid deck roofs
covered with asphalt shingles, wood shingles, or roll roofing. Use patching
compounds to repair minor leaks. Look for loose nails on metal roofing. Inspect
the entire roof, with particular attention to gable ends, eaves, and ridge cap.
If the nails are loose, hammer them back in as soon as possible. If the nails
don't hold when hammered back in, take the nails out and put #12 or #14 metal
screws in the old nail holes. Use aluminum screws on aluminum roofing, and
steel screws on steel roofing. Re-nail the roofing material 3 to 4 inches away
from the old nail holes with ring or screw type nails. Replace damaged metal
roofing.
17. Potential leaks. On a sunny day, go outside the building, close the doors,
and inspect the roof carefully. While looking for holes in the roof, inspect
the ridge, gable ends, and eaves, for possible structural separation.
Foundation
Inspect the foundation. The plate should not be separated from the studding
where the foundation meets the walls. On block foundations, inspect the mortar
joints to make sure the block with the plate bolt hasn't separated from the
wall. On stone or concrete foundations, check to see that the plate bolts are
not loose.
Interior
Inspect the interior of the building for structural damage. Check the framing
for ridge separation, loose knee braces, and loose rafters or trusses where
they join the walls.