Storms can damage a roof in many ways. If left untreated, these damages can compromise you and your family’s safety. In addition, it can also cause more damage to the interiors of your home. So right after the storm hits your area, as a homeowner, you need to know what to do when a storm has indeed damaged your roof. If you don’t have an idea, then this article is for you. To help you navigate this storm-related roof repairs or replacement, here’s what you need to do:
Check Signs of Storm Damage
After the storm, you need to determine what type of damage your roof has sustained and how severe it is. This way, you’ll know what to do next. Here are the steps you can follow to check for these storm-related damages:
- Search for any indications of damage that are apparent from the ground. Inspect the roof for missing or dented shingles. Pay close attention to any metal flashing in valleys or around chimneys. Search for missing or peeling flashing. Additionally, make sure to look for any evident damage on your vents, exhaust piping, or other protrusions.
- Look for leaks inside your house. Make sure to check the attic as well because leaks usually start there. Of course, if any water stains or leaks will also emerge on your home’s walls or ceiling, it’s an indication that the storm has indeed damaged your roof.
- Prioritize your safety. It can be dangerous to go around your roof right after a storm hits your area. Much more climbing on them to visually check for any damage. They are hazardous because you can be hit by any unstable debris, or you can also slip and fall on broken roofing materials thereby injuring yourself.
So to ensure your safety, you can either stay on the ground and wait up for a couple of days before inspecting your roof to ensure that there is no falling debris left, or you can also contact a roofing professional to perform an inspection for you.
Do Temporary Roof Repair Solutions
After you have checked the storm-related damages on your roof, the next thing you need to do is to make temporary repairs. This is to prevent these damages from worsening and affecting other areas of the roof or the interiors of your home. Here’s how you can do this:
- Repair Shingles. You can perform shingle repairs by replacing broken and missing shingles with sturdy replacement material to seal leaks and any holes. This is to prevent water from entering the inside of your home.
- Displace Water. You can clear excess water that has accumulated in your gutters and drains using a manual or motor-driven siphon. Because if waters are stocked up there, they may cause your gutters or drains to collapse or sag due to their heavy weight. They may also seep into your walls or even into your ceilings causing water stains and water damage.
- Seal Leaks. If the recent storm caused holes in your roof, then you need to seal them right away to prevent animals from entering your home and lessen the possibility of moisture developing in these opened areas. Remember, damp areas are also more susceptible to molds.
When Should You Call a Roofing Professional?
If your roof sustained significant damage, roof repairs can only do so much. They may be effective as temporary solutions but they are not viable in the long run. Sooner than later, these temporary solutions will also have to be repaired again and again until a roof replacement will be warranted.
So after you provide temporary solutions, call a roofing professional. Do not rely on your inspection and diagnosis. You might have missed some roof issues or problems. A roofing professional can conduct a more thorough inspection to determine whether simple roof repairs will suffice or if a complete roofing replacement is already needed. They have the expertise so they can provide long-term solutions instead of temporary ones.
Final Thoughts
Even if you can check and repair your damaged roof on your own, it is still strongly recommended to hire a roofing professional to fix storm-related roof damages. They can inspect your roof more thoroughly and provide expert recommendations. However, make sure to contact and hire only those who have the expertise and experience in handling storm damage repairs or replacements. Eagle Eye Roofing can help you with this. They perform swift storm damage roof repair to restore the integrity of your roof as if no storm has passed at all.