Storm Damage Roof Restoration

The challenge

A neighboring tree came down on this Twin Cities home and broke through the roof in several places, snapping the framing and letting rain pour into the living area. A structural engineer found eight of eleven roof rafters damaged — the roof needed a new structure before winter.

Our approach

The roof was rebuilt rather than repaired — the damaged framing came out and new pre-engineered trusses went in, setting the shape of the ceiling below. Inside, the water-damaged ceilings, drywall, and flooring were taken back to framing, with plastic containment keeping the rest of the house liveable.

The results

The living area came back as one open, light-filled space. New drywall, ceilings, and hardwood flooring replaced everything the water had ruined, and a soft warm white makes the small footprint feel bigger. A bold botanical wallpaper turns the window wall into the room's focal point.

Cause of loss: storm damage — a neighboring tree fell through the roof. Style direction: eclectic, bohemian, bold.

The giant tree smashed through the roof in several places, breaking the framing that supported it, cracking walls, and letting the rain pour in — causing extensive water damage to the ceiling, furniture, floors, and walls. A structural engineer who inspected the house that October found eight of the eleven roof rafters damaged and concluded the roof could not be repaired where it stood: it needed a new structure of pre-engineered trusses, and it needed one before the winter’s snow load arrived.

Rebuilding the roof set up everything that followed. Water damage meant new flooring, drywall, and ceilings through the living area, which turned a repair into a chance to rethink the room. A soft, warm white paint makes the small space feel bigger. A bold, colorful wallpapered accent wall does the work of transforming it. And the hardwood floor’s rich grain and light tones give the finished space a warm atmosphere with a timeless look and feel.

Before & After

Storm-damaged roof framing seen from inside the roof space, with snapped rafters, torn sheathing, and bracing timbers after a tree fell through the roof — Roof structure — where the tree came through

Rebuilt roof structure finished as a vaulted ceiling with a peaked transom window over the sitting area after storm damage restoration — Roof structure — where the tree came through

Living room stripped during storm and water damage repairs, with plastic containment taped across the ceiling and an exposed structural header over the opening — Living room

The same living room restored with new hardwood floors, warm white walls, and a floral wallpaper accent wall beside the vaulted sitting area — Living room

Living room wall stripped back to studs and vapor barrier around the window during water damage repairs — Accent wall

The same wall finished with bold botanical wallpaper, a wood-trimmed window, and a teal velvet sofa after restoration — Accent wall

Rear elevation of the home before storm damage repairs, with the original gable roof and a horizontal band of transom glass above the deck — Exterior

The same rear elevation after storm damage restoration, with a rebuilt roof, new siding, and a peaked transom window set into the gable — Exterior

Storm Damage Roof Restoration

The challenge

Our approach

The results

Before & After

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