The August storm may not be finished with your house
On the afternoon of Aug. 15, a severe storm rolled through Douglas County. In about 90 minutes, South Metro Fire Rescue answered nine public assist calls, two water rescues and a home struck by lightning. Public works crews brought out snowplows to clear hail from the streets.
If your home came through that afternoon without a leak, that’s great news. It doesn’t always mean there’s no damage. Bruised shingles, cracked flashing and dented gutters often hold up fine through dry fall weather. They tend to fail later, once snow sits on the roof and the freeze-thaw cycle starts.
With Denver’s first freeze expected this month and the first snow often close behind, the next few weeks are the best window to take a careful look around your property.
Why winter exposes storm damage
Colorado winters are hard on a roof that already took a hit. Three things happen that summer rain doesn’t do:
• Snow sits. Rain runs off in minutes. Snow can rest on a roof for days, slowly melting into any gap it finds.
• Water refreezes. Melt that seeps under a lifted shingle or into a cracked seal freezes overnight, expands, and widens the opening a little more each cycle.
• Ice dams form. When gutters are dented or clogged with storm debris, melting snow backs up at the roof edge, freezes, and pushes water up under the shingles and into the walls.
The result is usually slow. A small stain on a ceiling, a damp spot in the attic insulation, or a musty smell in a closet on an exterior wall. Slow leaks are easy to miss, and that’s what gives moisture time to soak into drywall and framing.
Outside: a 20-minute walk around the house
You don’t need to climb on the roof. Stay on the ground, use binoculars if you have them, and look for these:
• ☐ Shingles: dark spots where granules are missing, cracked or curled edges, or shingles that look lifted
• ☐ Granules in the gutters or at downspout outlets: heavy buildup can be a sign that hail wore down the shingle surface
• ☐ Flashing and vents: dents or bent metal around chimneys, skylights, roof vents and the plumbing stack
• ☐ Gutters and downspouts: dents, sagging sections, loose brackets, or clogs from leaves and storm debris
• ☐ Siding and trim: cracks or holes in vinyl, chips in fiber cement, and split or soft wood trim
• ☐ Windows and doors: cracked glass, torn screens, and gaps or cracks in the caulk around frames
• ☐ Window wells and grading: soil that washed away from the foundation during the flooding, or window wells that collected debris and water
If you see anything on the roof that concerns you, have a licensed roofer inspect it up close. Walking a wet or damaged roof isn’t worth the risk.
Inside: where hidden water shows up first
The inside of your home often tells you more than the outside. Grab a flashlight and check:
• ☐ The attic: damp or flattened insulation, water stains on the roof decking, daylight coming through, or rusty nail tips
• ☐ Top-floor ceilings: yellow or brown rings, bubbling paint, or a soft spot when pressed gently
• ☐ Exterior walls: peeling paint, swollen baseboards, or stains below windows
• ☐ Closets and corners on outside walls: these spots get little air flow, so a musty smell here is worth investigating
• ☐ Basement and lower level: damp carpet near window wells, efflorescence (white, chalky residue) on concrete, or water marks along the foundation walls
A musty odor with no visible stain is worth paying attention to. Moisture can sit inside a wall cavity for weeks before it shows on the surface.
If you find something
A stain or a dented gutter doesn’t automatically mean a big repair. It does mean it’s time to find out how far the moisture has gone.
1. Document it. Take dated photos and video of anything you find, inside and out. Note when you first noticed it.
2. Stop active water. If water is coming in, put a bucket under it, move belongings out of the way, and protect floors.
3. Get the source fixed. A roofer, window installer or gutter company can repair what let the water in.
4. Measure the moisture. A restoration professional uses moisture meters and thermal imaging to map how far water has spread behind walls, under floors and into insulation, then dries it properly.
5. Review your policy. Read your homeowners policy or call your agent to understand what’s covered and whether there’s a deadline for reporting storm damage. Every policy and claim is different, so your agent or adjuster is the right person to answer coverage questions.
The documentation from steps 1 and 4 gives you and your insurance company a clear record of the damage and the work done.
Get a second set of eyes before the snow
DRYmedic Restoration Services of Parker is a locally owned, IICRC-certified restoration team. If you’ve found a stain, a soft spot or a smell you can’t explain, we can check for hidden moisture and handle the drying and repairs if needed. We answer 24/7 at 720-719-0034.
We serve Parker, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Centennial, Deckers, Englewood, Franktown, Highlands Ranch, Larkspur, Littleton, Lone Tree, Sedalia, Sterling Ranch and the surrounding Douglas County and south Denver metro area.
Learn more about DRYmedic of Parker
