Preparing Your Roof For An Approaching Storm: Essential Steps To Take

by | May 1, 2021 | Roofing

For all the good from living in South Carolina, the state isn’t without the occasional downside. For instance, the prevalence of storms can cause significant damage to your property.

Whenever an incident like this occurs, our roofers are always on hand to provide roof repairs and roof replacement to the people of Charleston. We can ensure that whatever the storm does to the top of your home, you won’t have to live with the damage.

However, it’s always a good idea to defend against such issues in the first place. If you take the necessary precautions to protect your roof, you won’t require a ton of work in the aftermath. That’s why we put together this list, so you know exactly how to prepare your roof when you know a storm is coming,

Stay On Top Of Repairs

Your roof, like with almost every other material, deteriorates over time. While tiles can last a good few decades, if your property’s been around for a while, there’s a chance that your roof will be past its prime.

That’s why it’s worth regularly checking for the signs that it needs repairing so that if there is a problem, you can get it fixed as soon as possible. Broken tiles, rotting supports, or just general weakness in the roof can prove incredibly problematic in bad weather. They’ll do little to keep your house safe during a storm. That’s why you should always keep an eye on the state of your roof when you live somewhere like Charleston.

It’s also worth noting that you should prioritize these checks all year round, not just during the stormy season. After all, you want to ensure that any repairs are done well before bad weather hits, as it may take some time to complete them.

Install Stronger Tiles

Your tiles might not be old or broken, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best ones for the job. You want your roof to be as strong as possible when a storm hits, and that means ensuring that your tiles have the necessary qualities to cope with bad weather.

Fortunately, we do offer roofing products designed for this purpose. We know how Charleston’s susceptible houses can be to storms, which is why we use tiles like Stormmaster Slate and Stormmaster Shake. Both products are designed to be wind and impact-resistant, withstand wind speeds of up to 130 mph. You’d have to be dealing with a pretty significant storm for these tiles to struggle.

Stormmaster products also offer excellent algae resistance is also ideal, given that this is something that can make your roof more susceptible to damage. With this protected against, you have one less thing to worry about when preparing for a storm.

Secure Your Doors And Windows

When you know a storm is coming, it’s natural to keep your doors and windows closed to try and protect your property. Many people will do what they can to ensure that everything is sealed tightly and is strong enough to withstand the harsh winds potentially coming their way.

This is something you need to consider doing, too, especially as it can significantly impact the roof. That might seem strange, given that the doors and windows are in a different part of your house. However, it’s all to do with air pressure.

If a strong wind suddenly breaks into your home, it increases the air pressure and pushes your roof up. It might not blow the thing clean off your property, but it will ascend very gradually. Every time this happens, it weakens the roof’s stability, a change you might not notice until it’s too late.

So, to avoid this from happening, make sure all entryways into your home are as secure as possible.

Clear Your Gutters

Your gutters are an essential part of your home. They help to direct water away from the property to ensure that it doesn’t do any damage. Of course, they can’t do this if they’re blocked with leaves and other debris.

Any time you know that a storm is coming, it’s essential that you clear these out. That way, you reduce the risk of water pooling and potentially breaking the gutters when the bad weather hits. Having your drainage system fall apart in the middle of a storm won’t do your property any good, so this is one task you cannot afford to overlook

It’s also a good idea to do this when checking your roof after a storm, as a lot of debris can accumulate up here because of the wind. Should more bad weather hit shortly after, you don’t want this debris to be your undoing.

Reduce Any Exterior Risks

Given how fast the wind can pick up during a storm, it’s essential that you never leave anything outside that could blow away. Not only do you risk losing it in the bad weather, but there’s also a chance it could become a weapon against your home.

Bins, swing sets, birdhouses, and the like all turn dangerous whenever there’s a storm. They can impact every part of your property, including the roof, which is why you should never leave anything outside that isn’t held down.

This is also why you should take care to manage tree branches before a storm, lest they break off and do significant harm to your property. If you or your neighbors have trees in the backyard, then you really shouldn’t leave anything up to chance.

Even when you do everything you can to protect your roof, there’s still a chance that bad weather can damage it. That’s why we offer Charleston residents storm damage roof repair to ensure that any issues caused by this weather are dealt with promptly. If you’ve been the victim of such roof damage, or you’re just in need of general repairs, you can get a quote from us today. Go ahead and contact us by phone or email, and we’ll help you get your roof back to the way it’s supposed to be.

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