7 DIY Home Repairs After an Emergency

Being prepared to handle basic home repairs yourself can make a big difference in ensuring your family’s safety and comfort after a disaster strikes. This blog post will cover the most likely types of disasters that could cause damage to your home, repairs you can handle yourself, when to call a professional, essential tools you should have on hand, and some useful YouTube video links to guide you through these repairs.

Types of Disasters and Likely Damage

Several types of disasters can cause damage to homes, each requiring specific types of repairs. Understanding these scenarios will help you prepare better:

Storms and Hurricanes: These can cause roof damage, broken windows, flooding, and fallen trees.
Earthquakes: Can result in structural damage, cracks in walls, broken pipes, and disrupted utilities.
Floods: Lead to water damage, mold growth, and weakened foundations.
Fires: Cause structural damage, smoke damage, and electrical issues.
Tornadoes: Similar to hurricanes, causing roof damage, broken windows, and structural issues.

When to Call a Professional

While it’s great to handle some repairs yourself, certain situations require professional expertise due to safety concerns or complexity:

Structural Damage: Any significant structural damage, such as foundation issues or major wall cracks, should be handled by professionals.
Electrical Repairs: Electrical repairs can be dangerous. Call a licensed electrician for anything beyond basic tasks like resetting a breaker and absolutely never attempt to interact with anything electrical if there’s sparking or if there’s standing water involved … both can be deadly!
Gas Leaks: If you suspect a gas leak, evacuate immediately and call the gas company or a professional. [Editor’s note: a non-sparking gas shut off wrench could be useful to have.]
Major Roofing Repairs: While minor patching can be done yourself, significant roof damage needs a professional roofer to assess and repair.
Plumbing Issues: Severe plumbing issues, like major leaks or sewer backups, may require a professional.

Basic Tools You Should Have

Having the right tools can make home repairs easier and safer. Here’s a list of essential tools you should have:

Hammer: For driving nails and general repairs.
Screwdrivers: Both flathead and Phillips head for various screws, but may need other options, such as assorted star bits.
Pliers, assorted: For gripping, bending, and cutting wires.
Wrenches (and socket set): Adjustable wrenches for plumbing repairs.
Utility Knife: For cutting materials like drywall and tape.
Tape Measure: For accurate measurements.
Level: To ensure surfaces are even.
Cordless Drill: For drilling holes and driving screws. Better yet, get a manual hand drill.
Crosscut saw: For cutting lumber, plywood.
Staple gun: Makes for quick repairs with thin sheeting materials, like plastic.
Flashlight: For working in dark areas.
Safety Gear: Gloves, goggles, and a dust mask for protection.
Duct Tape: Versatile for quick fixes.
Nails and Screws, assorted: For temporary repairs of structures.

[Editor’s note: I wrote a book about survival tools for basic repairs if you’re interested. Most of it should be common sense, but it never hurts to have a list. Stash these tools somewhere they’re unlikely to be damaged, such as a detached shed. Alternatively, if you keep most of your tools in the garage as most of us do, consider placing these tools elsewhere, such as a closet in your house.]

Basic Home Repairs You Can Do Yourself

Here are seven home repairs you can tackle yourself in an emergency, in no particular order:

1. Repairing a Broken Window

A broken window can be hazardous. Here’s how to temporarily deal with it:

Remove broken glass: Carefully remove any broken pieces and clean the frame. Sweep up whatever you can. Wear thick gloves whenever handling glass, then store the shards in something unlikely to be compromised, such as an old bucket or even a cardboard box.
Cover the window: Install either a heavy-duty tarp over the outside of the window or, preferably, a piece of plywood. Staple the tarp or nail/screw the plywood in place to keep wind and water from intruding.
Check your repair: Ensure that no water leaks into the house. If it does, redo the repair. Have a professional out to replace the window ASAP.

Here’s how to board up windows using plywood before a storm:

2. Temporary Roof Repair

If your roof is damaged in a storm, a temporary fix can prevent a lot of further damage:

Assess safety: Some rooftops are too steep or too difficult to be accessed safely. Only if you’re comfortable and capable (and it’s dry) should you proceed.
Cover the damaged area: Use a tarp or heavy plastic sheeting to cover the hole. It may be necessary to secure the tarp/sheet over the roof’s ridgeline to keep water completely out.
[Editor’s note: It is possible to string up a tarp over the roof using cordage and rocks (or something easy to toss that’s also relatively heavy) if you’re unable to get up there to fix it. Just be careful whatever you do so as not to hurt yourself or cause further damage. If all else fails, collect water with a bucket and dump it periodically.]
Secure the tarp: Nail or staple the edges of the tarp to the roof, making sure it’s tightly secured to prevent water from seeping in.
Check the repair periodically: Winds and water can continue to cause trouble over time. Be sure to check that your temporary repair is holding.

3. Flooded Basement

A flooded basement is a common issue in many Midwest homes. Of course, if there’s any possibility of water contacting live electricity, then DO NOT attempt such repairs! Otherwise, here’s a few options ton consider:

Option 1, Pump: If you have power, and it’s safe to do so, run a sump pump or some sort of submersible water pump with typical 3/4″ garden hose fittings. Be sure to check that your garden hose(s) work with the pump.
Option 2, Garden Hose and Gravity: Use a garden hose to route water out of the basement. Place one end under water in the basement and the other end outside, lower than the basement end. Get suction going using something other than your mouth, such as a shop vac.
Option 3, Buckets: Use 5-gallon buckets and start bailing.

4. Broken Water Pipes

If you have a water pipe burst due a natural disaster, the safest way to prevent further damage to your home (because water can do a lot of damage very fast) is to turn off the main water valve which is located somewhere outdoors. Here’s how using a pair of pliers:

5. Electrical Problems

This is one of those times where it’s best to leave things alone because electrical problems can be dangerous in ways that you don’t realize. But if you need to turn off the electrical to your house, there’s usually a breaker box on the outside of the home that first responders can access, and you can as well. Here’s how simple it is to turn off power:

Let me caution you that if there’s anything obviously amiss (e.g., sparking, standing water) when you’re attempting to turn off the main electrical, just don’t. The house, no matter what the problem, can be replaced … you can’t.

6. Downed Trees

Got a chainsaw and come-a-long? Here’s the basics:

De-limb the tree: Saw large limbs and foliage, removing what you can by hand. Of course, be sure to use appropriate safety gear, such as gloves, eyewear, chaps, and so on. And if you don’t know how to properly and safely use a chainsaw, just leave the tree alone.
Cut the tree trunk into manageable sections: Tree trunks are heavy! Cut them down as much as possible before attempting to move them.
Move what remains: Use a come-a-long or vehicle wench to move the tree sections out of the way.

[Editor’s note: Alternatively, go around the tree until you can get someone out to deal with it properly and safely. Odds are good that, unless you have a moat surrounding your home, that there are other ways to get out or around it. I should also mention that if a downed tree is in a precarious position, in that it might move or shift while working on it, DO NOT attempt to deal with it yourself. Let the professionals handle it.]

7. Fire/Smoke Damage

A house fire, as terrible as it might be, doesn’t have to reduce a structure to ashes. In fact, oftentimes a house fire leaves the structure standing while ruining everything inside. Here’s some thoughts on how to recover afterwards:

Two Points to Reiterate

Safety should always be your top priority. Wear the proper gear (gloves, goggles, face masks, chaps or whatever) and absolutely, positively don’t put yourself or your family in a bad spot. Knowledge really is crucial. As such, if you don’t know that performing one of the tasks discussed above is safe, then don’t. Again, everything in your life can be replaced … you can’t if something unexpected goes wrong.

Although you don’t need much to make these repairs, you are going to need a few things. A few tarps and box of nails come to mind. A hammer and pliers are useful, too. But as with most things related to preparedness, if you don’t already have these items when you need them, they may be hard to come by after the fact. Make a list and grab what you need at the hardware store. Then stash these items somewhere that’s easy to access.

Conclusion

Being prepared to handle basic home repairs during emergencies can save you time, money, and stress. By knowing when to tackle a repair yourself and when to call a professional, you can ensure your home stays safe and functional. Equip yourself with essential tools, practice basic repairs, and use online resources like YouTube tutorials to build your skills. Remember, the goal is not just to fix what’s broken but to maintain a safe and secure home environment for you and your family.