After the Storm: How to Check Your Horowhenua Roof for Damage (Without Leaving the Ground)

Quick answer: After a winter storm, check your roof safely from the ground — walk around the house looking for lifted or missing sheets, dislodged flashings, debris like screws or ridge cap pieces on the lawn, overflowing spouting, and fresh water stains inside. Never climb onto the roof yourself; if you spot anything, get a professional to take a proper look.

We’ve written before about what to check before the next storm. This one’s for the morning after — when the southerly has blown through, the trampoline is in the neighbour’s hedge, and you’re wondering whether your roof copped it too. Horowhenua winters throw serious wind at us, especially out towards Waitārere, Hokio and Foxton Beach, and storm damage isn’t always obvious from the street.

Here’s how to check properly — with both feet on the ground.

Rule one: stay off the roof

A wet roof after a storm is about the most dangerous surface on your property. Sheets may be loose, fixings may have pulled, and everything is slippery. There is no check on this list worth a fall. Everything below can be done from the ground, a window, or your ceiling hatch.

The from-the-ground storm checklist

• Walk the full perimeter. Look up at every face of the roof. You’re looking for sheets that have lifted, rippled or gone entirely, and ridge caps or flashings sitting at odd angles. Binoculars or your phone camera on zoom work brilliantly.
• Scan the lawn and garden. Screws, nails, chips of tile, strips of flashing or lumps of ridge cap on the ground are a giveaway that something up top has let go — even if the roof looks fine from below.
• Check the spouting and downpipes. Storms dump leaves and debris fast. If water is sheeting over the edge instead of running down the pipes, your spouting is blocked, sagging or damaged — and that water ends up around your foundations.
• Look for daylight and drips inside. Pop your head up through the ceiling hatch with a torch (no further than that). Pinpricks of daylight, wet insulation or damp timber all point to a breach.
• Check ceilings and walls. Fresh brown stains, bubbling paint or a musty smell after heavy rain usually means water is getting in somewhere above.
• Take photos of everything. Date-stamped photos from the ground are gold if you end up making an insurance claim. Our step-by-step insurance claim guide covers what insurers want to see.

When you don’t need to call us

Honestly? Not every storm needs a roofer. If your roof looks intact, nothing’s on the lawn, the spouting is flowing and the ceilings are dry — you’re probably fine. A single old stain that hasn’t changed in years isn’t an emergency either. And if the damage is to fences, sheds or ceilings only, a roofer isn’t your first call (we don’t do internal ceiling or plaster work, so we’ll tell you that straight).

When you do

Missing or lifted sheets, water coming in, spouting hanging loose, or anything you can’t explain — that’s the time. Leaks rarely fix themselves, and a small entry point in July is a soaked ceiling by August. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, a paid leak assessment finds the actual source, and a full roof report gives you photo evidence insurers take seriously.

If the roof is clearly past patching — and plenty of older Horowhenua roofs are after a few decades of coastal wind — a re-roof might be the smarter money. Our free measure and quote is done aerially, so nobody sets foot on your roof, and every complete roof replacement we do is backed by our 5-year workmanship guarantee.

We’re Levin locals, Licensed Building Practitioners, fully insured, and we’ve weathered the same storms you have. If last night’s blow has you squinting at your roofline, give us a call on 0800 706 337 or email contact@aquashieldroofing.co.nz — we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s nothing, a repair, or time for something more.

Quick questions

Should I get on the roof to check for storm damage? No. A wet, possibly damaged roof is genuinely dangerous. Everything worth checking can be seen from the ground, a window or your ceiling hatch — leave the rest to a professional.

Will insurance cover storm damage to my roof? Often, yes — but insurers want evidence. Photograph everything from the ground straight away, and a professional roof report with photos makes the claim process much smoother.

My roof looks fine but the ceiling is stained — what now? Water travels, so the leak may be nowhere near the stain. A leak assessment traces the actual entry point rather than guessing.

— Slade, Licensed Building Practitioner · Aquashield Roofing, Levin & the Horowhenua