Tampa family's home collapses after roofers began storm-related repairs

[@larrywelch9738]

I was a roofer for almost 50 years. There is nothing a roofer can do to cause the house to collapse unless there are serious structural defects. I think they should have let the insurance company look at it before demolition. They could have figured out what caused it.

[@kylieharrison3782]

I agree about getting insurance inspections out before demolition. There's no way they will pay out now.

[@roseanneroseannadanna9651]

You can overload a roof system and cause it to to it to to sheer from the bond plate, which in turn will separate the supporting wall to fail as it is no longer loaded. Seen it happen. From the minimal pics, it looks like the ceiling joist and rafters were just nailed together. (Joist need to have hangers that tie in with rafter and bond plate.) This house is prolly built before zone 1 hurricane code enforcement was actually enforced! This family house was the victim of crappy work and just as crappy inspections! At least it didn't collapse during the night!

[@itomba]

@@larrywelch9738 Please look at the comments above yours. Some people believe that the roofer doing repairs should do a structural inspection before replacing some missing shingles.

[@russellstewart5414]

There is no way that I would have allowed the house to be torn down until my insurance adjuster was able to come and get documentation that will be necessary for a claim. It could have waited a few days for that to happen.

[@Cybersawz]

No way in hell the insurance company will pay to rebuild their house. They will come up with every excuse to not pay. They'll blame it on the roofers overloading the roof, prior structural damage, you name it.

[@fireboltaz]

As they should. Why should my monthly insurance pay for that old house that was poorly built and poorly maintained

[@GeeGee19]

They have to pay. She's actually lucky because now she will get a brand new state of the art up to code house built from insurance money. Merry Christmas lady

[@jamesfields7]

@@fireboltaz Because that's they way insurance works dipsh*t....Let's hope they find a way to deny you in your time of need.

[@Dugger1991]

That’s a load of garbage they certified the roof prior to renewal. It’s the insurance company to due their due diligence prior to renewal.

[@ducheau100]

@@GeeGee19 Not if they can prove they weren't maintaining the roof. And if it was old roof, they can forget getting any insurance proceeds out of them

[@bandido7994]

This is one of those cases where something is just about to break and unfortunately someone puts their hands on it. I wouldn't blame the roofers.

[@johnd.5601]

They're supposed to be professionals. They are probably a bunch of immigrants who have no formal training, and the owner of the business probably doesn't know what end of the hammer to swing.

[@CynthiaWord-iq7in]

No. Might have been able to see say broken rafters...from inside attic...or ceiling joists

[@johnd.5601]

@@CynthiaWord-iq7in Darwin awards are unlikely to have a limited supply. Building homes is not an art. Architecture is.

[@johnd.5601]

@CynthiaWord-iq7in Darwin awards are unlikely to have a limited supply. Building homes is not an art. It takes 10 years to figure out the basics of being a tradesman. That experience starts at a young age. That was put to an end with affirmative action. That's why I said we have business owners. I haven't met construction company owner in 24 years that actually worked in the trade and has grown into a business owner.

[@johnd.5601]

@CynthiaWord-iq7in Do you really believe that? I replied multiple times, and multiple times, my reply was censored. Not because it used foul language. Because it contains logic and expression of knowledge and experience.

[@Shaqlife]

This house had structural problems prior to the roof caving in. Houses don’t get demolished for a roof caving. Don’t make sense!

[@davidlafleche1142]

A small sinkhole in the worst possible place caused a support post to collapse leading to a chain reaction.

[@daveheimes241]

That house had other issues.

[@fireboltaz]

She’s not telling the whole truth to the story

[@ducheau100]

clearly

[@l.ls.8890]

That is a bizarre happening a roof collapsing just for a roof repair. There must be some other underlying structural issue that failed, perhaps over the years someone removed a support wall and it just decided to crash. I hope they tell us in future.

[@lizzieb6311]

💩 Construction…that’s what happened.

[@fireboltaz]

Yeah. They had to have known there was an issue. This is all a PR stunt. The husband was nowhere to be seen. This is a scam

[@GeeGee19]

She's actually lucky because now she will get a brand new state of the art up to code house built from insurance money. Merry Christmas lady

[@jamesfields7]

@@GeeGee19 unless the insurance company finds a way to deny the claim...Be realistic, insurance isn't something you can really count on anymore.

[@lizzieb6311]

@@GeeGee19 Yeah. .because the insurance companies, especially here in Florida are known to “take care” of their insured 😂🤡

[@danglss76]

Theres no way the roofers are at fault . And im sure they were as shocked as you ma'am. I feel bad for them too.

[@torence]

I think you need to wait before the official updates of stories like this come out, because they just released that it could’ve indeed been the roofers fault with photos from them working on the roof before it had cracked. They had piles and mountains of materials sitting on top of the roof literally caving the roof in. We had the same damage on our roof from Milton before Rodger’s came to repair, but our roofers didn’t dare to leave that much crap on the top, especially since it’s only wood exposed.

[@billrobbins5874]

Happy all family is safely out.

[@piedpiper8355]

​@torence A 100 year old house in my neighborhood had the same thing happen to it. It wasn't being repaired from storm damage, the owners were renovating.. The roofing crew put all of their materials in one spot instead of spreading them out. That caved the roof in and blew the walls out. A lot of people don't realize that, at least here in Florida, the rafter tails on these old homes are just that, the tails. When they constructed these houses, the actual rafter stops at the wall and then they tie the tails onto the rafter. So if a strong wind comes along, just the eves are damaged and the main roof stays intact. My walls and decking are lath tongue and groove and have a ton of fasteners. There's a reason their called Craftsman homes, because craftsmen built them. Not sure about the family in this video, but I can assure you that the house damaged in my neighborhood was from the roofers neglect, not from shotty workmanship from when the home was built.

[@Urbanhandyman]

Looks like foundation and/or wall failure which in turn caused the roof to collapse. The weight of the roofing guys on top was just too much for the failing structure. A wall buckled outwards, the roof began collapsing downwards.

[@billschafer9668]

Sorry for her loss. A 100 year old wood framed home in coastal Florida is disaster waiting to happen. Wood deteriorates over time from moisture and potential termites. Steel fasteners and connectors rust out. Fresh paint and shingles can hide lots of problems.

[@BunnyMan-ec4xg]

No it's not. Many 100 years old houses out here with no issues. Mine was moved 50 miles and placed on a new foundation, no issues. New houses are falling apart before they are done being built.

[@TheVsingh2]

@@BunnyMan-ec4xg A100 year old house "might" be built with better lumber but hard to tell what is going on inside the structure. A termite infestation can hollow the wood from inside. It may have been remodeled multiple times without getting structural experts involved. There is a reason most of the lasting structures in the world have concrete, metal, stone and bricks as structural blocks. New houses are falling apart due to poor workmanship. It is a different issue and easier for an inspector to tell than to estimate what is going inside the walls or calculate if roof is properly supported.

[@JimLambier]

I had a bad storm rip off a section of shingles on my home. The insurance company agreed to re-shingle the house a sent out Curly, Larry and Moe to do the job. They decided to unload all of the shingles on one spot on the roof. I heard a loud crack as they dropped the last load from the crane. We had to get structural engineers to assess the damage from inside the attic. Then we had a crew of carpenters work inside the attic for several days to repair the broken trusses. Once that was done, the roofers came back and did the roof but forgot to install flashing. This required pulling it all off and doing it again. During the process, they had stripped the shingles in one section and went home for the night without tarping it. It poured that night and I had light fixtures fill with water.

[@iamhis5580]

They sound like absolutely terrible roofers!

[@regismonkton]

I'm sorry to hear about that.

[@MsRhondaRandy]

Larry, Curly & Moe! I'm screaming! Hope u come out well Buddy. ❤️

[@sarahann530]

Since when does the insurance company send out roofers . ?

[@ch0zman]

The house was already falling apart...

[@fireboltaz]

Yeah. She’s trying to blame the roofer

[@Shaqlife]

Something is completely off here. For the house to be demolished then there was already structural problems. Or else Why not just fix the roof…

[@GameHEADtime]

@@fireboltaztbh when you pick the job your still kinda responsible for working on a structure you choose to be responsible even if it damaged if it’s too damaged your supposed to reject the job. If you can’t handle fixing it are you clueless….

[@GameHEADtime]

Doesn’t matter if I had a busted roof. The and I pay a roofer to fix it and he couldn’t put the shingles. And he sees it’s messed up and still accepted the job it’s his fault he was required to assess the situation and whatever is related to it. You can’t pick in choose you hill Billie’s….

[@ryandann9362]

They're lucky it happened when the roofers were there. The added weight of some guys walking on your roof was all it took for the home to crumble. Something was structurally wrong for sure.

[@corinneanderson1273]

Prayers for the family. Im glad you are alright.

[@richardmesser1091]

That will fix it

[@robertburdette2365]

Conventional framed rafters with no x bracing. 1x6 boards for sheeting 6d nails and it layed over. Remember folks your old house in Florida all the nails are rusted gone. The plaster inside is about all the shear wall holding it up from collapse. Enjoy

[@FloridaMugwump]

There are very few houses in peninsula Florida this old. Tampa is an old city, but it was landlocked . Most of this area was uninhibited until the invention of the air conditioner. Also, it's not a house it's a bungalow. Cheaply made, intended for winter only snowbirds.

[@MrTBronson]

Quick glimpse from news footage looked like a conventionally framed roof, not roof trusses. If not collar tied properly it pushes out on the walls which it looks like it did which you can see from one of the smaller windows in a room is slanted with a huge crack to the left of it. The sloped roof dropped vertically and pushed the exterior wall out.

[@eprofessio]

Never call the city when you have a problem unless you want the problem blown out of proportion.

[@cardboardboxification]

she should have called a contractor to secure the walls, strip them and fix the issues , absolutely no reason to destroy the house

[@eprofessio]

@ exactly.

[@waltsupholsteryinc.1638]

Heartbreaking

[@TheFalcons_Take_Flight]

I was one of the lucky ones whose neighborhood didn't flood, and I got a new roof right before the pandemic hit and inflation skyrocketed. I took out a loan to replace it as soon as I noticed some damage. My wife and I had to share one car for a year until we paid off the loan. It was the best investment at the right time, and thank God we did the right thing. I hope things get better for so many families. Prayers and hugs 🫂. Be safe.

[@MsRhondaRandy]

I love it when 2 smart ppl work TOGETHER 😊😊😊😊😊 Keep up the good work and stay strong💪💪💪 One live! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@James-ol6rw]

Good thing they got out. Could have collapsed at night.

[@truelife974]

That part!

[@greyeye6371]

Quit trying to blame the roofers. Your house had serious prior damage . It could have collapsed at anytime . Be grateful you are all unharmed

[@MsRhondaRandy]

Bingo! Never once heard....thank GOD our lives were spared.🙄🙄🙄

[@johnm5714]

That house got wind sheared during that storm and those roofers did just enough movement to make it come down like a house of cards. NOT their fault-that place was weakened prior to the work ever being done and the next storm would’ve finished it off.I hope the insurance company makes them whole again👏🏼and thank god no one was hurt.

[@eligebrown8998]

I hope things get better. So sad. I bought an old house at auction. Farely solid house, but after the 4th year i having it i need to replace the roof so i called a company to give me an estimate. Turns out i have 6 layers of shingls. Im slowly buying all the stuff i need first, then the hard work starts. I cant get insurance until after the roof is replaced. Go figure.

[@joycef8443]

6 layers? anywhere I have lived, 2 layers is the max. Shingles are HEAVY

[@SolarizeYourLife]

That was the fastest removal of the house i ever seen and over a holiday!!! Dec 23 roof cave in dec 26 house demolition WTF?!?

[@cardboardboxification]

get it demolished before the insurance can take pictures ??

[@bobroberts2371]

The house was in danger of falling over and hitting the house next door. that is why it was taken down so quickly

[@susanmcconnell6041]

Praying for all these storm victims. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@richardmesser1091]

Who sent the storms

[@oaxaca1948]

I don't think that was the roofers fault it was damaged in the storm, and when they started new repairs it collapsed.

[@Macsrus5]

Yeah, I’m gonna say it was unstable for awhile

[@kimberlycmangusrn]

there is no way in hell her roof was going to fall on a neighbors home this is gummint over reach i'll be damned if anyone is destroying my home over nonsense and before i can get my things out straight bullshit here

[@MesaBoogieman82]

Yeah, when there's no hurricane winds, roofs fall downward not over . Those rafters had to be rotted out.

[@IMRROcom]

@@MesaBoogieman82not in the case of that house. It is an old style roof. It does not fall down, it pushes the walls out when it collapses

[@MesaBoogieman82]

@@IMRROcom bummer

[@kimberlycmangusrn]

all i know is im not taking the gummint boot lickers or the fake news word for it that's for damn sure

[@PandaBeafr]

Material things can be replaced but lives cannot. Prayers for comfort and God's Will

[@michaelburns9172]

Prays for the family.

[@abeybaby29]

Someone trustworthy should have done an inspection in the ceiling and see what they found before any work was done.

[@MesaBoogieman82]

Rafters had to be rotted out. Dont people ever look their houses over ever?

[@kristinjayne6720]

Most people wouldn’t know what they’re looking for and inspectors miss obvious things all the time.

[@joyfullone3968]

I am so very sorry this happened to you. I know what it is to lose many of my belongings!

[@neoudi2024]

Got too heavy! Praying 🙏 for your safety and recovery

[@n6a6me6jebus]

Yeah insult them by telling them you will pray for them after what has happened to them jerk

[@joannnearthecoast5896]

This is so sad , I wish I could help

[@jontompkins1844]

If I wasn't allowed to get my memories out before destruction, the situation would become a lot more dangerous.

[@robertskelton2576]

100 years old probably termited, a 1000 lbs of workers on roof and them comes several 1000 lbs of shingles unloaded in one spot on the roof.

[@chrisregister8021]

What a nightmare 😢

[@mg-by7uu]

The roof was attacked by a buffalo, claim denied - The insurance company

[@rogerclark3]

Wait until she gets the lawsuit from the roofing company... 😂

[@MultiTurbospeed]

That storm is what finished off the house

[@ttfahd]

1920 home near the ocean ??? ouch....but it sure did survive the times

[@westhighlands522]

It was a common framed roof structure and it looks like the rafters were more than 24” apart. I also saw what looked like a metal I-Beam in the debris. Where was that used and why?

[@digger105337]

Tornadoes and tornadoe like wind can twist a house and cause strange damage, which can be discovered later. A sharp inspector who's worked storm damage can usually catch that sort of thing. Sixteen acres section of Springfield MA, had a whole street of similar houses that all had to come down. Too twisted to correct and were not safe any longer.

[@cornebod]

Dang, the roof was the only thing keeping that death trap standing...

[@jeffdunnell6693]

Most likely they found the termite damage

[@cynthiadrummond3040]

Whoever did the "inspection/assessment for the insurance company, did a lousy job! Alacrity subconctracted out for inspection for my damage for USAA. I was not taken care of. These people weren't either...like so many others! All about the money.

[@PortlandFleetService]

“But houses aren’t built like they used to! My new home is garage. My 100 year old house can survive longer than my new home!” And that is why we have engineers design new homes.

[@kevinnobody3052]

This house had preexisting conditions. No structure collapses just from someone walking around on the roof.

[@markg999]

Saw photos they had pallets of shingles on a small area of the roof...the roof company likely did cause the collapse putting all that weight in a localized area.

[@jackvance6025]

There’s a good chance when the roof membrane integrity was compromised by the storm. It allowed gallons of water to come in from rain and made everything really heavy and so it pulled the house down from the extra weight of the water saturating all the other materials in the house

[@MsRhondaRandy]

Damn! The city didn't come this fast for CLEAN UP after the storm! 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@Sir_Loin_]

Poor kids

[@offshorequest]

This gives new meaning to the term "deferred maintenance".

[@allformsinsuranceagency5453]

oh my goodness i hope their insurance company takes good care of them

[@kimberlybegonia2869]

Did the roof get inspected before roofers came? My roof was just replaced after 19 years and many storms in Central East FL. Maybe consider the situation in totality and be pro-active? 😮

[@sgare]

They probably tore it down before a proper investigation. Did they cut something they shouldn't have or was it in bad shape?

[@marshaldix651]

This can't be from the roofers. There was unexpected unseen damage.

[@torence]

For everyone in the comments that wants to say it’s not the roofers fault, look at the update this news channel made on this story 24hrs after this one came out. For those who commented that it’s not the roofers fault, you need to wait until updates come out before you make accusations on what you believe took place, or else that may just happen with your story one day. Updates show photos of the roofers materials piled up on their roof, with the wood visibly flexing because of the weight.

[@auburnjewels2]

The house was more than 100 yrs old. Tell the woman not to make any calls Thursday. Smh.

[@nexxterra]

in Europe a lot of homes are 200 to 500 years old...

[@Pedantic1953]

@@nexxterraThey we’re built to LAST 500 years.

[@Eblivious]

@@nexxterrathey’re not built on skinny bars tho, this home was literally being held up by bars

[@BarrierIsland]

The insurance company should pay for a new house, but they may get bounced around for a couple of years, living in apts. The damage that caused the collapse had to be related to the hurricanes or the county wouldn't have come in and just bulldozed it to the ground...

[@singuyen2390]

More likely roofer faults, they dropped heavy shingles load on one spot, especially with old house. They should know better. I need to know the roofer company.

[@BillyAlabama]

Oh no.

[@erthmthr]

So sorry for this family, it sounds like the walls were saturated during hurricane milton & the concrete failed in a domino effect.

[@maryellenskutack3853]

We had our roof replaced 9 months ago.I live in a Codo,nobody spoke english and there wasa lot of product on roof! Florida needs to work on going after these companies that wasnt to hire the cheapest labor and flim flam companies! disgusting!

[@zaneshark]

This is what the climate in Florida will do to any structure over time. The extreme humidity will destroy everything given enough time. Everything rots and rusts extremely fast in Florida. Even concrete buildings are not safe due to the excessive moisture permeating the concrete and rusting the rebar as was revealed by the surfside cobdo collapse in Miami. Again, this is not an ideal climate for long-term habitation.

[@bt.c.1829]

Company has Insurance?? Right??

[@RenzoTx]

Sounds like the structure of that house was severely compromised.

[@Junkboy888]

Have you ever seen all the Home improvement show where they Knock out a wall to open more space.

[@stephan6372]

So the roofers provide waterproofing and roof tile. Anything structural is a farmer's work. Have to ask, are roofers required to inspect potential issues caused by leeking or weather and then advise the owner?

[@ExploristAI]

I hope the roofers had insurance

[@MrSesmith11]

Wtf? Your reporting is abysmal! What was the original damage? What did the repair company do and did you ask for a comment? Why are you even paying reporters if you aren’t producing viable stories?

[@marcusanderson-yeager6740]

I am sure that her insurance company will pay this claim quickly and fairly! Only two homeowners' insurance companies and for Milton only paid 23% of the claims. March onwards Red State!

[@Stormin505]

That's why you always hire a Contractor that is Lic & Bonded! Earl's roof repair probably didn't have Insurance!

[@GeeGee19]

She's actually lucky because now she will get a brand new state of the art up to code house built from insurance money. Merry Christmas lady

[@4dbak]

It'd work out in the end you'll see.

[@iwishpeoplecaredagain]

All homes in should be built out of concrete blocks not wood. They're building out of wood where I am at it rains way to much cheaply made and put up.

[@puddincup9879]

I'll never understand anyone choosing to live in Florida.

[@CynthiaWord-iq7in]

Awful. Wish there weren't rain this week. She dies need about 39 clear plastic storage tubs. They can launder clothes they find and other stuff

[@JohnJones-k9d]

Why are US houses built to a lower standard than my garden shed. I have owned 300 year old houses with the roof being nearly 100 years old and in great condition. Just build your houses properly and this wont happen.

[@MeoMiyo]

Not roofers fault. Look at chimney brick. That house is sinking.

[@deanbarnette1602]

💔😥🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@heaven-is-real]

Structural defects not roofing

[@NaySayersRanch]

Who whose insurance is gonna pay for this?

[@Shaqlife]

The entire State of FL will pay SMH 😩

[@mrfofff]

Claim denied .

[@angelamrivera7365]

😮😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@SK-lt1so]

Almost as if people shouldn't live there...

[@MomoLiveFilms]

y u a buy a house made of wood in Florida concrete is the standard here in Orlando

[@pwu8194]

That's what I worry about when I hire a contractor. America has so many unskilled contractors who will ruin your homes.

[@alphaomega5909]

It's NOT this Contractors fault. This home clearly has underlying extreme damage. From age , the climate its in,etc.

[@TheVsingh2]

This has nothing to do with the roofer. There was something structurally wrong with that house.

[@alphaomega5909]

@@TheVsingh2 Exactly Sir. My homes on Lake Michigan,Grand Haven. I also own 12 rentals in Ottawa County Michigan. I didn't build them but have done Plenty remodeling on all. This is NOT the Contractors fault.

[@daemonay2973]

God will bless them with a new home.

[@alphaomega5909]

@@daemonay2973 LOL. Your confidence in "GOD" is amusing.

[@celestialtl]

Typical in Florida…happens all the time

[@kishanbalkaran566]

Dam

[@user-ix4cr8gh5d]

Doesn't make any sence

[@johnmicalizzi126]

It's only stuff!

[@JosephGoins-m1y]

Sue

[@AravinthanS.Manoharan]

😂. Code Enforcement Officer Fast To Screwed Up lah ????? 😅.

[@786otto]

What a pile off crap 😂

[@JorgeGonzalez-h5b]

😂🎉🎉😮😅😊

[@saint6563]

God's Will: According to Believers. Nature: According to intelligence people.

[@Adriheydri]

Termites

[@BrainstormJr2nd]

Skill issue.