We Survived Hurricane Irma

[kookycats]

Sorry to have taken so long to post. But - the worst is over. Hurricane was a nightmare, hope to never see anything like that again. We lost power Sunday (9/10) afternoon. Our good neighbors came over and insisted we come to their house as they had a generator. Rode out the storm with them and it was so frightening. Street was flooded, but our neighbor had a truck so he drove us across the way to our house (our small car wouldn't have made it). Thank God the house was ok, only problem was a lot of shingles blew off the roof. No leaks, nothing wrong inside. We lost our power for 10 days, and stayed with the neighbors (Fran and Kenneth). Cats weren't happy but we made sure they had food and fresh water every day. They were upset that I didn't give them canned food as I was afraid of ants, so they had only dry for that week. We cleaned up the debris - fortunately we didn't have a lot of big trees, and right before the hurricane we had someone come in a cut back lots of bushes on the sides of the house. We consider ourselves so lucky to have escaped with minor damage. Already contacted the roofer and of course it will take 2 - 3 mos. We asked about a tarp on the roof but they said that if there is no exposed plywood and no leaks then a tarp wasn't necessary. So far - no problems. Insurance inspector is coming over tomorrow but I think that won't do much good as the hurricane deductible, as far as I can read the policy, is 2% of the value of your house. So the roof repairs wouldn't be that much. But - we're going to "play dumb" when the adjuster comes and see what they say. Anyway, just wanted to let you know we're alive and well here in Naples and now have survived Hurricane Irma. Will let you know what is happening, but thank you to everyone for your concern.

 

[Margret]

So glad that you and the cats came through okay.

Insurance inspector is coming over tomorrow but I think that won't do much good as the hurricane deductible, as far as I can read the policy, is 2% of the value of your house. So the roof repairs wouldn't be that much. But - we're going to "play dumb" when the adjuster comes and see what they say.

Even if you were absolutely certain that it won't meet the deductible you would still need to put in the claim. There may well be more hurricanes this year, and whatever damage those cause could easily put you over the deductible. The shingle damage puts you over the deductible sooner, so you end up being reimbursed more later. (I swear that's not as incoherent as it sounds.)

Margret

 

[arouetta]

I don't know your age or physical health, but if all that's wrong is missing tiles you could probably do it yourself a lot faster than 2-3 months.

 

[kookycats]

I don't know your age or physical health, but if all that's wrong is missing tiles you could probably do it yourself a lot faster than 2-3 months.

Unfortunately my husband is not handy at all. If he tried to go on the roof he'd probably fall off! Wish he was handy!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I'm so glad to see this! Good neighbors really are a blessing aren't they? I'm glad the damage is minimal for you.

 

[betsygee]

Very glad to read this update. What nice neighbors. So glad you two and the kitties all made it through with minimal damage.

 

[Kat0121]

Unfortunately my husband is not handy at all. If he tried to go on the roof he'd probably fall off! Wish he was handy!

I'm so glad you, Paul and the kitties are all OK.

Roofing is one of those things that is better left to the pros IMO.

 

[neely]

Glad to hear you're safe and sound. The roof will get fixed eventually but your safety and the kitties come first.

 

[Margret]

I'm with Kat0121 on this one. I know that, if I had the correct ladder (which I don't) I could get to my roof safely and could avoid falling off. What I don't know is what I'd do once I was there. I'd probably end up doing more damage to my roof than I would repair. (And yes, I'll probably be calling some roofers shortly; we have some shingle damage from hail storms.)

Margret

 

[jcat]

Ten days without power! It's great that you have such helpful and generous neighbors and that only the roof sustained damage.

 

[Mother Dragon]

Sorry to have taken so long to post. But - the worst is over. Hurricane was a nightmare, hope to never see anything like that again. We lost power Sunday (9/10) afternoon. Our good neighbors came over and insisted we come to their house as they had a generator. Rode out the storm with them and it was so frightening. Street was flooded, but our neighbor had a truck so he drove us across the way to our house (our small car wouldn't have made it). Thank God the house was ok, only problem was a lot of shingles blew off the roof. No leaks, nothing wrong inside. We lost our power for 10 days, and stayed with the neighbors (Fran and Kenneth). Cats weren't happy but we made sure they had food and fresh water every day. They were upset that I didn't give them canned food as I was afraid of ants, so they had only dry for that week. We cleaned up the debris - fortunately we didn't have a lot of big trees, and right before the hurricane we had someone come in a cut back lots of bushes on the sides of the house. We consider ourselves so lucky to have escaped with minor damage. Already contacted the roofer and of course it will take 2 - 3 mos. We asked about a tarp on the roof but they said that if there is no exposed plywood and no leaks then a tarp wasn't necessary. So far - no problems. Insurance inspector is coming over tomorrow but I think that won't do much good as the hurricane deductible, as far as I can read the policy, is 2% of the value of your house. So the roof repairs wouldn't be that much. But - we're going to "play dumb" when the adjuster comes and see what they say. Anyway, just wanted to let you know we're alive and well here in Naples and now have survived Hurricane Irma. Will let you know what is happening, but thank you to everyone for your concern.

I'm so very glad you're safe. Irma was just as much fun there as Harvey was here. Fortunately, we put a new GAF roof on about a year ago. It was designed to take very high winds and it lived up to the claim. We had absolutely roof damage.

You might get an estimate from a roofer with a good local reputation. A lot of times there is more damage than is readily visible. Our old roof started leaking but we found out we also had hail damage. So many pock marks are allowed per square yard to qualify for replacement of that area. Our roof was so old that it wasn't replaceable in sections and had enough marks to qualify for a new roof. The contractor worked with us, first by giving us a very fair price and then by giving us a senior citizen's discount that meant that in the long run we got a completely new roof for very little money. He didn't try to upsell us but did say he used six nails per shingle instead of four for better security.(I've since found out that he's very right about that.) He insisted on hand-driven nails. The only thing he did urge us to get was better felt. It qualified us for a better warranty and he said it would definitely be worth it. We found him on Angie's list and he had a bunch of commendations and Angie's Superior Service awards. You can't buy an Angie's listing. You CAN buy one with the BBB, so a listing of BBB membership means only that the merchant has no unresolved complaints. This is the time when scammers are rampant, so be very careful. A scammer here insisted on $1500 cash up front. The homeowner gave it to him. He got into his truck and drove away and didn't come back.

The price of a new roof probably will save you from paying two deductibles, one for this time and one when you really do have to replace the roof. Give it some consideration unless you roof is only a few years old. Be sure your contractor doesn't put the new roof over the old one or you'll have major problems.

If the damage is minor and you can find matching shingles, you can have someone put them on and the add a sealer called Through the Roof. It dries clear and I will guarantee you it won't leak. We sealed around our chimney with it and around some flashing and never had another leak. It comes in a tube to be used like caulk and a can to be brushed on.

The best of luck to you!

 

[amysuen]

So glad you and your kitties are safe!

 

[kookycats]

Last night we found a leak in the master bedroom closet. Got in touch with a local roofer (recommended by a friend) this morning. They were able to come over today, put 2 tarps on the roof. The workers said the roof looked bad - which is what the insurance company appraiser said yesterday. It'll be around 6 weeks for them to be able to do an estimate, but I have a feeling it might be time for a new roof. L et's see what the insurance company allows, after their deductible. The appraiser also put down loss of food in the freezer - estimated $500. We never even thought about that. So we'll probably have a bite the bullet for a new roof. House is 17 years old, but Hurricane Irma really did some damage. But we are lucky we have a house and that is the only damage. So many people here lost so much.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Yes leave roofing to those who do it for a living . Too dangerous !
I am in California but own a home in southeast Florida . 2 hurricanes in one year ! `~ I feel my luck running out . I may sell while I am ahead . ( ? )
Best wishes to you ...