What to do before we get to Hackensack
A leak does its worst damage in the first few hours. None of this is a substitute for the repair, but it limits what the water reaches while you wait.
- Put a container under the drip and move anything valuable clear
- If a ceiling is bulging, pierce it deliberately at the low point so it drains rather than collapses
- Photograph everything before you clean up — it matters if you claim
- Do not go up on a wet roof; tell us what you can see from the ground

