Skylight emergencies

Broken glazing is the more urgent case. Falling glass or acrylic, and a wide-open hole in the roof during a storm, are both immediate hazards. Clear the room, close the door, and call a roofing contractor who offers emergency service. If wind is driving rain into the house, the priority is a temporary cover, not a discussion about which brand of skylight you want next.

Photograph everything before anyone cleans up. Insurers respond to sudden, accidental damage very differently than they do to long-term wear, and your photos of the storm damage, the water path and the dates are the evidence that distinguishes the two. Take pictures of the room, the ceiling, the attic, and the contents that got wet.

Be careful about who you sign with at the worst moment. Storm chasers work exactly this window — knocking doors after weather events, offering to "handle the insurance," and asking for a signature that assigns them your claim. Stabilize the damage with a company you can verify, then take your time on the permanent repair.

Wet insulation and wet sheathing don't dry out on their own inside a closed ceiling. If a significant volume of water got in, ask the contractor to open the shaft and check, rather than repairing the roof and leaving the wet cavity closed up.

How to choose

People first, then property

Broken glazing overhead and a sagging water-filled ceiling are both injury risks. Clear the space before you worry about the carpet.

Never go on a wet roof

Emergency tarping is a fall-hazard job. Pay someone with equipment and insurance; it is cheaper than the alternative.

Document before you dry out

Photos and video with timestamps, before cleanup, are what a claim rests on.

Stabilize now, decide later

Authorize the temporary fix. Don't authorize a full replacement at 11pm in a rainstorm.

Don't sign an assignment of benefits under pressure

Signing over your insurance claim to a contractor at the door is a common post-storm trap. Read what you sign, or don't sign.