Simple Steps to Prevent and Identify Roof Damage
Although it probably seems obvious, the roof is by far one of the most important parts of the home. However, the reason that this needs reiterating is that many people tend to neglect their roofs—as the old saying goes, 'out of sight, out of mind.' The problem is that by not paying attention to your roof, even a small amount of damage can quickly turn into a major problem accompanied by expensive repair bills.
For this reason, it is important that every homeowner knows what steps to take to hopefully prevent roof damage in the first place and also to identify any potential damage before it leads to a much bigger issue. By staying diligent and regularly inspecting your roof, you can go a long way towards ensuring that your roof is able to survive strong winds and major storms.
How to Prevent Wind and Storms From Damaging Your Roof
The most important factor in preventing storms from damaging your roof is to perform regular inspections. Older shingles and other roofing materials can eventually become loose over time. While these problems are usually quick and inexpensive to fix, it left unrepaired, even a few loose shingles could end causing huge damage in a storm.
As soon as one shingle is torn off, it makes it easier for wind to get underneath and beginning tearing others off as well. In addition, any loose or missing shingles make it much easier for water to leak through the roof thus causing damage to the interior and potentially leading to toxic mold growth.
The same thing applies to your gutters and downspouts, as they can easily be torn off when not properly secured. In this case, they could potentially crash through your window or cause other damage to the home's exterior.
Even if your roof is in perfect condition, it may not remain so if a storm blows a dead limb or entire tree on top of it. Therefore, it is also important that you make sure to keep any trees properly trimmed of dead growth. As well, you'll want to make sure that there are no major limbs or branches overhanging the roof since these could potentially cause damage if they were break during a storm.
How to Identify Roof Damage?
It's always a good idea to fully inspect your roof following any major storm or strong winds as this will allow you to hopefully identify and fix any damage before the next major storm. In most cases, you'll want to use a ladder and actually climb up on the roof if possible. Otherwise, the second best thing is to try to inspect it from the ground with binoculars.
When inspecting the roof, be sure to pay attention to any signs of loose or missing shingles. As well, be on the lookout for any large branches or limbs. If you do see any of these, it's best to call a professional roofer instead of climbing up on the roof. There's a chance that the limb could have caused serious structural damage and thus that you could fall through if you're not careful. This same advice also applies to any roof that is in less than ideal condition, as this is also best left to the professionals. If you do spot any signs of damage or it has been some time since you've had your roof professionally inspected, it is always a good idea to hire a professional roofer. Part of the reason behind this is your safety. However, hiring a professional is also the best way to ensure that the repairs are done properly the first time around. Otherwise, you may soon find yourself facing the same problems after the next big storm.