During the late summer months going into fall every year

During the late summer months going into fall every year, residents in low lying and coastal areas prepare for hurricane activity.  Homes falling within a 150 miles within a coastline are now experiencing more damage than ever from hurricane winds and rains.  Over 49 million homes are estimated to be “at risk” for hurricane damage.  A roofing system’s age tends to exacerbate the situation further because they were constructed prior to updated building codes and enforcement, under a grandfather clause.

Routine Inspections & Maintenance      

Routine maintenance scheduled inspections are the best way to shield your roof from hurricane damage.  When performing a quick DIY inspection, be sure to look for curled, loose, or even missing shingles.   Missing granules is another common sign of premature roof wear.   If you have a different roof type, look for other clues, like cracks found in tile roofing, which indicate impact damage.

The roof edge on older roofs, is especially vulnerable to wind and rain damage driven by hurricane storms.  A hurricane will produce over 150mph winds that impact the roof edge.  These winds create an “uplifting effect”.  Older roofs tend to have worn roof edges, failing sealant, and loose or missing nails.  In some instances, building code has been updated, requiring the attaching nails to be closer together to provide more structure security.

So when hurricane force winds impact the roof, shingles and other roofing material is blow off.  As the storm passes overhead, the circular path of hurricane winds will then pick up the loose roofing material.  The loose roofing material becomes flying debris that can damage additional structures and components of the home.

Limit & Reduce Hurricane Damage

If you find anything after your initial inspection, have a professional roofing contractor come out and take a closer look.  The roofer can replace missing nails, shingles, and reseal loose attachment areas and ventilation systems.

Professional roofers can also install hurricane clips, required in some areas, on the inside of the home.  This adds more support for the roofing system by attaching it to the support system of the interior walls of the home.    If you have a gable roof, your local roofing company can install wooden braces at the ends of gable roofs.  The braces attach and secure to the rafters.

Using Professionals to Prep

The benefits of using a professional roofer far exceed the benefits of a DIY project.  The roofer will have expert knowledge of the most common and most hidden components of a roofing system that fail.  Additionally the weather effects from the storm are different in each area, which means the local roofer will understand, better, how winds will affect your home and roof before, during, and after the storm.

Schulte Roofing is a professional roofing contract with over 100 years of combined experience.  All of their work is backed by the roofing industry’s best guarantee, “The Bulletproof Roof™ Guarantee”.  For more information on how to best protect your roof, investment, and how to limit your insurance premiums in hurricane prone areas, contact your local houston roof company today.