What to Check Around Your Home After a Heavy Spring Storm
Pittsburgh springs don’t pull punches. High winds, heavy rain, and the occasional hail or late-season ice storm can leave your home looking fine on the surface while something quietly leaks, cracks, or shifts underneath.
The good news: most storm damage catches itself early if you know what to look for. A thorough home inspection after a storm — done carefully and systematically — can mean the difference between a $200 fix and a $2,000 one.
This guide walks you through what to check, what to prioritize, and when to call someone in. Whether you’ve owned your home for six months or thirty years, this checklist gives you a reliable place to start.
The good news: most storm damage catches itself early if you know what to look for. A thorough home inspection after a storm — done carefully and systematically — can mean the difference between a $200 fix and a $2,000 one.
This guide walks you through what to check, what to prioritize, and when to call someone in. Whether you’ve owned your home for six months or thirty years, this checklist gives you a reliable place to start.
Roof and Gutters
What to look for. You don’t need to get on the roof to do a first assessment. Grab a pair of binoculars or use your phone’s camera zoom from the ground or an upstairs window.
- Missing, lifted, or curled shingles
- Dark patches where granules have washed away (check your downspouts — granule buildup at the base is a clear sign)
- Visible sagging or uneven roof lines
- Gutters pulled away from the fascia, bent, or visibly full of debris
- Downspouts that are disconnected or dumping water too close to the foundation
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: clearing gutters of leaves and debris, reattaching a downspout extension, flushing downspouts with a hose. Call a professional for any missing shingles, flashing damage around chimneys or vents, sagging areas, or anything that requires getting on the roof. A handyman can handle minor roofing repairs like flashing and isolated shingle replacement. Full roof replacements require a licensed roofer.
Immediate steps. If you notice water is actively entering through the roofline or attic, place buckets, lay down plastic sheeting, and contact a professional the same day. Don’t wait on active leaks
Immediate steps. If you notice water is actively entering through the roofline or attic, place buckets, lay down plastic sheeting, and contact a professional the same day. Don’t wait on active leaks
Siding and Exterior Walls
What to look for. Walk the full perimeter of your home slowly. Look for:
- Cracked, split, dented, or displaced siding panels (vinyl, wood, fiber cement, or aluminum all show damage differently)
- Areas where siding has separated from the wall, leaving gaps where water can get behind it
- Damage around utility penetrations — where pipes, cables, or vent covers pass through the wall
- Caulking that has cracked or separated around windows, door frames, or trim
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: recaulking small gaps around trim or windows, snapping a displaced vinyl panel back into its channel. Call a professional for multiple displaced or cracked panels, damage to underlying sheathing, or any area where water is visibly getting behind the siding. Left alone, this becomes a moisture and mold problem.
Windows and Doors
What to look for:
- Cracked or broken glass panes
- Failed or missing caulk around window and door frames
- Doors or windows that no longer open and close correctly — storm pressure can rack frames
- Broken or damaged window screens (lower priority, but worth noting)
- Water on the interior sill or around the frame — a sign the seal or flashing above is compromised
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: replacing a window screen, recaulking a frame, adjusting a door that’s slightly out of alignment. Call a professional for broken glass, a frame that’s visibly warped or racked, or any window where you feel air or see water getting through the frame itself (not just condensation).
Basement and Crawl Space
What to look for:
- Standing water or damp spots on the floor
- Water running down or seeping through walls (especially at floor-wall joints)
- Musty smell that wasn’t there before — an early sign of moisture before you can see it
- Window well flooding (if applicable)
- Sump pump — confirm it’s running and the discharge line is clear and draining away from the house
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: running a dehumidifier, checking and clearing the sump pump discharge line, confirming the pump is cycling properly. Call a professional for any active seepage through foundation walls, cracks in the foundation, recurring water intrusion that wasn’t present before, or a sump pump that ran but couldn’t keep up. These need a waterproofing or foundation specialist, not just a cleanup.
Garage Doors
What to look for:
- Visibly bent or dented panels
- Door that operates slower than normal or makes grinding noises — may indicate track damage
- Gaps at the top or sides where the door no longer seals flush against the frame
- The bottom seal — check whether it’s still intact and making full contact with the floor
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: lubricating tracks and hardware, replacing a worn bottom seal. Call a professional for bent panels, damaged tracks, or any door that came off the track. Do not attempt to realign a garage door spring or cable yourself — these are under significant tension and are genuinely dangerous to work on.
Outdoor Structures: Decks, Fences, and Sheds
What to look for:
Decks: boards that have shifted, cracked, or lifted; railings that wiggle or feel loose (a safety issue, not just cosmetic); post bases sitting in water or showing signs of rot around the footing; the ledger board connection to the house — look for any visible separation or water staining.
Fences: leaning or fallen sections; posts that have lifted or shifted out of the ground (saturated soil loosens fence posts); broken or split rails.
Sheds: roof panels displaced or lifted; doors that no longer latch or align; any penetration where wind may have forced water inside.
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: resetting a leaning fence post in dry conditions, replacing individual deck boards, reattaching a loose railing spindle. Call a professional for any railing that feels structurally unsafe, a ledger board that’s separating from the house, or deck posts showing significant rot. These are load-bearing elements.
Decks: boards that have shifted, cracked, or lifted; railings that wiggle or feel loose (a safety issue, not just cosmetic); post bases sitting in water or showing signs of rot around the footing; the ledger board connection to the house — look for any visible separation or water staining.
Fences: leaning or fallen sections; posts that have lifted or shifted out of the ground (saturated soil loosens fence posts); broken or split rails.
Sheds: roof panels displaced or lifted; doors that no longer latch or align; any penetration where wind may have forced water inside.
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: resetting a leaning fence post in dry conditions, replacing individual deck boards, reattaching a loose railing spindle. Call a professional for any railing that feels structurally unsafe, a ledger board that’s separating from the house, or deck posts showing significant rot. These are load-bearing elements.
HVAC System
What to look for:
Outdoor AC or heat pump unit: debris packed against or inside the condenser unit — leaves, sticks, and hail can bend condenser fins; unit visibly shifted off its pad; refrigerant lines disturbed or damaged.
Exterior vents (dryer, bathroom exhaust, range hood): vent covers missing or blocked by debris; backdraft dampers stuck open or closed.
HVAC inside: if the power flickered during the storm, check that your thermostat is reading correctly and the system is responding; unusual sounds when the system kicks on — debris can get into return air ducts.
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: clearing debris away from the condenser unit (power off first), checking and clearing exterior vent covers, resetting a tripped circuit breaker for the HVAC unit. Call a professional for bent condenser fins (a technician can re-comb these), a unit that’s not cooling or heating after the storm, any concern about refrigerant, or an HVAC system that won’t come on at all after a power event.
Outdoor AC or heat pump unit: debris packed against or inside the condenser unit — leaves, sticks, and hail can bend condenser fins; unit visibly shifted off its pad; refrigerant lines disturbed or damaged.
Exterior vents (dryer, bathroom exhaust, range hood): vent covers missing or blocked by debris; backdraft dampers stuck open or closed.
HVAC inside: if the power flickered during the storm, check that your thermostat is reading correctly and the system is responding; unusual sounds when the system kicks on — debris can get into return air ducts.
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: clearing debris away from the condenser unit (power off first), checking and clearing exterior vent covers, resetting a tripped circuit breaker for the HVAC unit. Call a professional for bent condenser fins (a technician can re-comb these), a unit that’s not cooling or heating after the storm, any concern about refrigerant, or an HVAC system that won’t come on at all after a power event.
Downed Trees and Debris Affecting the Structure
What to look for:
- Any part of the tree touching the roof, siding, or structure — even what looks like a light lean can hide significant damage underneath
- Ground disturbance near the house from root upheaval, which can affect drainage and even foundation proximity
- Broken limbs still hanging in trees above the house (“widow makers”) — these are a hazard and need to come down before anything else
DIY vs. professional. Manageable yourself: clearing small branches and debris from the yard that aren’t in contact with the structure. Call a professional for any tree or limb that’s in contact with your home — it needs a licensed tree service before any repair work begins, so the structure can be fully cleared and assessed before you know what you’re dealing with. Do not attempt to cut a limb that’s resting on your roof yourself; the release of tension when cut can cause unexpected movement and further damage.
When to Call a Handyman vs. a Specialty Contractor
Not every storm repair needs a specialist, and not every job is a handyman job. Here’s a straightforward way to think about it. When in doubt, a handyman can help you assess what’s going on and tell you honestly whether it’s something we can handle or whether you need a specialist. That’s a faster and cheaper first step than calling four different contractors.
The spring storm is over. Your home probably came through it fine — but probably isn’t the same as definitely. A systematic walkthrough, done safely and methodically, gives you a clear picture of where things stand and what, if anything, needs attention.
The homeowners who catch problems early — a damaged vent cover, a loose deck railing, a small siding gap — are the ones who avoid the much bigger repairs that follow when those things go unaddressed through another season of weather.
If you’ve done your walkthrough and found something you’d rather not deal with yourself, or if you want a second set of experienced eyes on your home, Hammer & Nails Handyman serves Pittsburgh and the surrounding area and handles exactly this kind of post-storm repair and assessment work. Give us a call at (844) 474-2639 or reach out through hnhandy.com. We’ll take a look, tell you what we see, and help you figure out the right next step — no pressure, no guesswork.
The spring storm is over. Your home probably came through it fine — but probably isn’t the same as definitely. A systematic walkthrough, done safely and methodically, gives you a clear picture of where things stand and what, if anything, needs attention.
The homeowners who catch problems early — a damaged vent cover, a loose deck railing, a small siding gap — are the ones who avoid the much bigger repairs that follow when those things go unaddressed through another season of weather.
If you’ve done your walkthrough and found something you’d rather not deal with yourself, or if you want a second set of experienced eyes on your home, Hammer & Nails Handyman serves Pittsburgh and the surrounding area and handles exactly this kind of post-storm repair and assessment work. Give us a call at (844) 474-2639 or reach out through hnhandy.com. We’ll take a look, tell you what we see, and help you figure out the right next step — no pressure, no guesswork.
