How To Prepare Your Roof For a Hurricane
As hurricane season draws closer it is important to be prepared with your roof. Roofing damage can be quite prevalent during high winds and extreme storms. Taking the time to properly prepare for hurricane season could lead to a variety of damage to your home and putting your roof at risk as well. This article will explain how to prepare your roof for a hurricane.
Starting To Prepare For Hurricane Season
The hurricane season starts through the first of June and moves into Nov 30th. The preparation for the hurricane season should start in the late part of April into early May. There have been some times where hurricanes can come before the season begins and during these instances, it is always best to keep a close eye on the weather and to make sure that you have materials ready in case the season begins early. Buying your materials in the early part of April is usually the best course of action. If a hurricane or tropical storm is forecasted, you are likely to see a number of the supplies for safeguarding your roof get taken away almost overnight.
The Damage a Hurricane Can Cause
Hurricanes can cause a wide range of damage to a roofing system. The most common reasons why a hurricane is so harmful to roofing materials is that it has high winds and heavy rains. The wind speeds from a hurricane can be as low as 74 MPH and exceed 157 mph. Many roofing manufacturers test their components at these peak conditions but as your roofing components age, their strength can begin to wane as well. A hurricane will also regularly produce flying debris from nearby homes and trees that can impact your roof, cause damage or lead to the chance that your home could suffer major structural damage.
When the wind starts taking away your roofing materials, the water will have a chance to pool up or effect your roofing materials after that. The pools of water can make it easy to degrade your roofing materials and for water damage to continue long after the hurricane event has taken place. Water damage from hurricanes will cause mold, ongoing rot and it could potentially risk the lives of your family as well. The damage to the structure of your home and the chance that your home could be subject to rot or mold can make it difficult for your family to live securely inside your home after a hurricane.
Here are some top tips for keeping your home secure in a hurricane:
Roofing Inspection
Call in a professional for regular roofing inspections. A roof inspector can spot the signs of trouble and make sure that it does not go unnoticed. A regular inspection is crucial to keeping up your roof and preventing the need for major repairs by addressing the minor ones that come up.
Secure Your Yard
Make sure that your yard furniture, tools, playground equipment and more are all very secured in your yard. Hurricane force winds can quickly turn all of the items in your yard into projectiles. To protect your family and your home, you will need to make sure that any loose objects in your backyard can be moved or secured before hurricane season.
Fix Your Loose Shingles Or Roofing Tiles
If you have loose shingles or roofing tiles, make sure that you can make an effort to repair them. Your roof is going to serve as your best line of defense against a hurricane, not taking the time to secure the roof will make sure that you will have many more shingles falling off and other concerns associated with your roofing system without any intervention.
Trim Trees
Trimming your trees or bushes near to the home can be important as well. If you have branches which are dead or overhanging your home, these will often become a concern for your roof. Trimming back these items and making an effort to keep them under control through the year can be important to your upkeep.
Keep some of these top ideas in mind to prepare your home and your yard for a potential hurricane.
If you are interested in more ways to prepare your roof for a hurricane or need roof repair due to storm damage contact us today!