From high wind gusts and heavy rain to impact damage, hurricanes can cause numerous problems for your roof. Before hurricane season arrives, savvy homeowners will properly prepare their roofs to minimize their chances of incurring damage.
We’ll discuss some of the best ways to prep your roof before hurricane season arrives this year.
Have a Roof Inspection
One of the best things you can do to protect your roof during hurricane season is to get a roof inspection. One of our professionals will be able to inspect every component of your roofing system from the top roof cap all the way down to the decking and vents.
We’ll let you know any areas where there’s a problem, like a worn-out or missing component. By repairing these issues when they’re small, you can prevent bigger issues from developing. This will greatly reduce your risk of experiencing a roofing malfunction during the upcoming hurricane season that requires a call to an emergency roofing service.
Use Hurricane-Rated Roofing Materials
When you live in a region that’s prone to hurricanes, it can be highly advantageous to purchase hurricane-rated roofing materials. These materials come in all different styles, like metal roofing, shingles, and clay or concrete tiles. They’re specifically formulated to be more impact-resistant than your standard roofing materials.
One thing you don’t want to forget is hurricane straps or clips. These are metal straps that anchor the actual roofing structure to the rest of your home’s frame. They’re ideal for reducing your chance of roof uplift if strong winds hit your area.
During the roof installation process, make sure your roofer will be using some sort of foam sealant or roofing adhesive between the roof decking and rafters. This provides more strength than nails alone, which can greatly reduce your risk of experiencing uplift during hurricane-force winds. Additionally, using ring-shank nails or screws can provide even more strength than traditional smooth roofing nails.
All roofs have an underlayment that’s meant to temporarily protect your roof decking from water intrusion when your shingles or other roofing material rip off. Adding a secondary water barrier can be a great way to give your home a backup form of protection during destructive events.
Flashing is installed around your roof protrusions, like skylights, chimneys, and valleys. Unfortunately, it’s a common weak point of your roof and should be installed with care. A great tactic for better protection is to use hurricane-grade roofing cement with mechanical fasteners.
Clean Your Gutters
Your gutters play a crucial role in helping to divert rainwater from your home and its foundation. Unfortunately, if there’s any debris in your gutters, it can prevent the free flow of water through them into your downspouts. This can cause water to back up in your gutters, onto your roof, and down your siding. Clean out all your gutters before hurricane season starts for the best chance of diverting as much rainwater as possible away from your home.
Trim Trees and Shrubbery
While trees and shrubbery can make your landscape look amazing, they can also create potential hazards during hurricane season. Remove any overhanging limbs or shrubbery that are near your home. Even healthy branches are prone to cracking under excessive stress due to strong wind gusts or impact damage.
Tie Down Roof Equipment
It’s common to install satellite dishes and solar panels on your roof. If you have a commercial facility, you may even have your HVAC system on your roof. Unfortunately, all these items can create damage if they move out of place during adverse weather conditions. One of the best things you can do to prevent damage is to tie down any equipment you have on your roof. Ask the professional who’s installing the equipment to include a hurricane brace to ensure everything is properly mounted on your roof.
Make Sure the Vents Are Clear
Your roof has multiple vents that are meant to pull in outside air and remove humid air. These vents are ideal for maintaining a great temperature and pressure balance. If you happen to close off any of your roof vents, it can affect the pressure inside your attic. With hurricane conditions, any major pressure change could increase the risk of your roof suffering serious damage or failure.
Upgrade Your Outdated Roof
All roofing materials have a finite lifespan and will eventually need replacing. If your roof is nearing the end of its estimated lifespan, it’s much more likely to fail under nasty storm conditions. Consider replacing your aging roof before the upcoming hurricane season. This will ensure you have active warranty coverage and your roof is strong.
Remove Loose Outdoor Objects
When hurricane season arrives, there are certain things you’ll want to do to better protect your home during adverse weather conditions. Any items you have outside, like patio furniture, grills, and even lawn decor, can turn into flying debris under the right conditions. It’s smart to have a plan in place for removing these loose items when adverse weather heads your way.
Create Your After-Hurricane Checklist
Whenever severe weather impacts your area, you need to assess your roof in the aftermath. Look for things like missing or loose shingles, water stains, leaks, and even missing or bent flashing. If you notice there’s any damage, quickly document it with photos so that you have real-time data to send to your insurance company.
It’s always advisable to speak with one of our roofing professionals as soon as possible to repair the damage before it spreads. It’s never a good idea to let issues — even a cracked shingle — go, as it will simply lead to more damage over time that will be costlier to repair.
Review Your Insurance Coverage
One thing you’ll need to remember to do is to annually review your insurance coverage. You want to check your policy to determine if your roof will be fully covered in the event of damage. Some policies may exclude older roofs or may deny coverage if you don’t show proof of routine maintenance. It’s important to understand what’s required of you so that you can always be assured that any hurricane damage is covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy.
Handle Repairs Promptly
When hurricane season arrives, you want your roof to be as strong as possible. Unfortunately, if you already have small issues with your roof, like bent flashing or loose shingles, it’s likely that adverse weather conditions will make them much worse. It’s best to ensure that any problem you experience with your roof receives prompt repair service from one of our experienced roofing professionals. The sooner we can repair known issues, the less likely your roof is to experience damage during bad weather.
Expert Roof Inspection Service
Fraser Roofing, LLC provides expert roof inspection services for the Atlanta, GA community. We can also help with all your roofing storm damage repair, replacement, and new installation needs.
Call our office today to book your next service appointment.
