If the unthinkable happens and the flat roof of your garage or house extension is blown off by strong winds what are the steps that you need to take to ensure minimum damage is caused to the internal spaces?

The most important first step is to remove any furnishings and valuables from the room or cover them with waterproof material if it is not possible to remove them so that they do not get damaged by rainwater. If the affected room is a garage then this is still important as metal tools that may be stored in the garage will quickly become rusty if they get wet.

If the roof is on a single storey part of the property it may be possible to cover the roof area with a large tarpaulin sheet to keep rainwater out until a permanent solution can be arranged. This will need to be firmly tied or weighted down to keep it in place.

Once you have tried to minimise further damage to the property and contents it is worth checking your buildings and content home insurance policy to see whether you are covered and if you are what you need to do to arrange for an assessment of the damage to be made.