Many St. Louis homeowners feel unsure once an insurance claim enters the process. The confusion usually comes from not knowing how insurance companies actually evaluate storm damage. Understanding the criteria helps you set realistic expectations and avoid costly mistakes. Here is how insurers typically review storm damage claims, step by step. Storm Damage Must Be…
After a strong storm, many St. Louis homeowners ask the same question. Is there real damage, or does the roof just look worn? Storm damage is not always obvious. It also gets confused with normal aging more than almost any other exterior issue. Knowing the difference helps you avoid unnecessary claims and catch real problems…
Hailstorms are a fact of life in the St. Louis area. When they hit, the damage is not always obvious, and the wrong next step can cost homeowners time, money, and insurance coverage. If your neighborhood just saw hail, here is what to do next, in the right order. 1. Make Sure Your Home Is…
When St. Louis homeowners think of roof leaks, they usually picture spring thunderstorms or summer hail. We tend to think of winter as a “dormant” season for our roofs. This is a dangerous misconception. While summer storms are loud and obvious, winter damage is silent and mechanical. It doesn’t rely on wind speed; it relies…
If you own a row home, you likely worry about the age of your roof shingles. But in row home construction, the shingles are rarely the culprit when water enters the home. The true engineering challenge of a row home isn’t the flat surfaces—it is the edges. Unlike suburban homes with overhangs and gutters that…
Look at a standard suburban home, and the roof is often simple: two slopes meeting at a peak. But tight-lot city homes are a different beast entirely. Verticality, shared walls, and complex masonry define our architecture. This means your roof isn’t just a “lid”—it’s a complex puzzle of intersections. Because of this complexity, you have…
When your gutters overflow in winter, it’s easy to blame the gutters themselves. Maybe they’re clogged, undersized, or filled with ice. But the truth is far more serious: Winter gutter overflow is usually a symptom of a roof problem — not a gutter problem. This issue is extremely common in St. Louis neighborhoods like Maplewood,…
If you live in Benton Park, Soulard, Carondelet, or The Hill, your home probably shares something that most suburban houses don’t: a roof with little to no overhang. These tight-lot, historic St. Louis neighborhoods are known for brick construction, narrow homes, and rooflines that stop almost flush with the exterior wall. This architectural style gives…
A roof doesn’t fail overnight. Its decline happens slowly — year by year — through temperature swings, UV exposure, moisture, and time. For St. Louis homeowners, where roofs endure everything from summer humidity to ice storms, understanding this timeline helps you plan smarter maintenance and replacements before damage escalates. Below is a realistic look at…
When it comes to roofing, everyone seems to have an opinion — neighbors, online forums, even family members who “know a guy.” But misinformation spreads quickly, and in roofing, bad advice doesn’t just waste time — it can cost homeowners thousands of dollars. At Family First Exteriors, we’ve spent years helping St. Louis homeowners undo…
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