Uncover Hidden Storm Damage with Professional Engineering Inspections in Tampa
Florida’s unique geographic location often places it directly in the path of severe storms. The narrow peninsula is like a finger thrust into the common Atlantic hurricane channel. The large number of streams, rivers, and lakes in The Sunshine State add to the coastal waters on three sides to make a ripe environment for storm and flood damage.
Most flood damage and storm damage is obvious. Your home’s roof on the ground is clearly a serious form of damage. Hidden damage can be even more insidious and hard to locate or evaluate. Professional engineering inspections in Tampa can uncover hidden storm damage that may not be evident or may lie underneath more obvious damage.
How Can Storm Damage Be Hidden?
The incredible uniqueness of storms make virtually anything possible. Beryl structural engineers have witnessed indescribable damage within a few feet of intact buildings and structures. The impacts from severe storms cannot be underestimated. Professional engineering inspections in Tampa must include experienced team members and advanced equipment to uncover hidden storm damage.
Sometimes the effects of high winds or flooding can go unnoticed. Inexperienced inspectors may overlook signs that may be obvious to a trained and skilled structural engineer. Wind can cause stress on structural components that can be hidden behind other structures or in enclosed spaces. Flooding can wash out substrate underneath foundations or structures and only leave the barest sign.
Another confusing dilemma for damage assessors and structural engineers is determining what is storm damage and what is damage that occurred before the storm event.
Can Some Things Be Misidentified as Storm Damage?
Existing homes and structures can often have pre-existing damage or deterioration that is unrelated to the storm. Some damage can occur after the effects of the storm are over. It takes a seasoned engineer with years of experience to tell the difference. This is important because insurance companies are not bound to provide damage repairs for normal wear and tear, neglect, or abuse.
Some items or issues that are commonly misidentified as storm damage include:
- Worn components
- Joint separations or cracks caused by normal building movement or settling
- Water damage to unprotected components, such as unsealed joints or missing siding
- Chipped or cracked tiles caused by damage, poor installation, or high traffic
- Water damage to unprotected/uncovered areas of the home, such as when a roof has blown off and no covering is installed
- Damage from deferred maintenance or pre-existing conditions
Close examination and recreations of the storm and its elements are often necessary to determine how damage occurred and what areas would and would not have been damaged. This becomes even more complicated when flooding is involved. Damage from flooding tends to cover up routine wear and other factors and often requires complete replacement of large segments of a building or structure.
Beryl Engineering Inspections in Tampa
Engineering inspections in Tampa from Beryl structural engineers can provide an accurate and reliable estimation of damages and causes for use in insurance claims and other matters. Our skilled engineers have the experience and knowhow to gather the facts and provide proof to back our claims.
We are also not connected to any construction company so our reports can be trusted and are not part of a larger effort to secure work for any construction firm. Beryl’s reputation for integrity and professionalism makes us a leading structural engineering firm in Tampa and throughout Florida.
Contact Beryl Project Engineering today when storm damage impacts your residential or commercial property. We can provide an accurate engineering inspection to reveal every aspect of storm damage so you can be sure of complete repairs.
