How Hurricanes and Bad Weather Impact Your Roof

Your roof works hard to keep you safe and it is the main defense line for your home. Even if you don’t live near the ocean or in areas where hurricanes usually hit, bad weather can still hurt your roof. Strong winds and heavy rain might come with flooding or hail that can cause problems and the damage might not show up right away. But rough weather can hurt your roof over time.

You’ll need to take some steps ahead of time to keep your property, workers and tenants safe by knowing what dangers to look for and what signs show damage. Since we’re in hurricane season, you should recognize how these big storms might affect the roof of your home. When hurricane-level winds come with pouring rain and things flying through the air, your roof could get damaged.

Roof Damaging Elements

Regular roof checks keep your home safe from weather damage. You might want to take a look at your roof after any hailstorms to find these problems early on.

Winter brings the biggest challenges. It has winds, ice and snow. If you live somewhere hot, places with high temperatures can harm your roof just as much. Hot weather can sometimes do more damage to your roof than other types of weather.

Snow can hurt your roof, especially when it starts to pile up. If you don’t clear it off, the snow will melt, freeze again and create ice dams with dangerous icicles hanging from your roof.

When you endure strong winds, plants and branches often get pulled up and thrown around. Sometimes they just damage your yard – other times, they might affect your roof, siding and windows. The more trees and large bushes you have near your house, the more likely your roof will get damaged during a storm.

Rain can also cause water damage to your roof over time. How bad it gets depends on how heavy the rain is and how well you care for your roof. If you ignore regular maintenance, you’re asking for issues. Water can get into your home through gaps where shingles or tiles are missing.

Important Things to Think About

Wind protection ratings for roofing materials can help you make smarter decisions for your home. Strong wind gusts can make flat roofs lift up or come off because of the pressure from below. This might damage the roof structure and put its stability at risk. When hurricanes bring winds, they can tear off the flashing and sometimes make the whole roof collapse. Also strong winds can pull roofing parts like metal panels, membranes and asphalt shingles away from the surface, leaving openings for water to get into the layers underneath.

The insulation in your flat roof can get damaged or moved around by the wind. When this happens, you’ll likely see higher heating or cooling bills and your home won’t use energy as effectively as it should. Wind can also loosen or tear off the sealant that holds different parts of your roofing system together and if the flashing gets damaged, then you’ll probably end up with water leaks.

When strong winds throw debris around, it can create holes, tears or scratches in your flat roof covering, which makes it more likely that water will get inside and cause damage. You can reduce debris damage by tying down loose items on your property and cutting back tree branches. Winds can also push on skylights, HVAC units, roof vents and other items on your roof, which might create holes in the roof and gradually damage these parts over time. Too much wind blowing on your roof puts stress on the supporting structure, which over time weakens your roof and could cause it to collapse.

Damaged Roof Shingles

The easiest way to care for your roof is to have it checked regularly. You should try to fix any problems instead of waiting until your roof is too damaged to save.

When you hire roof specialists, they have the know-how to keep your roof in excellent shape for years. They’ll make sure that all repairs are done right the first time. This means you won’t have to worry about any surprise costs later because the job will be completely finished.

You shouldn’t assume that your roof is fine after a big storm, even if nothing looks wrong from the ground. Most storms bring heavy rain, strong winds and sometimes hail that can damage your property. It might be wise to call a roofing expert to check your roof and give you a clear picture of how it’s doing. Our team at Roof Republic can help! When your roof is in better shape, you’ll have an easier time dealing with any insurance or loan paperwork.

Flat roofs need some extra attention to protect against wind damage. You should set up regular roof checks to catch and fix any leaks early. Quick repairs and reinforcement will reduce your risk during windstorms. Check out what we offer if you want help finding problems before they turn into more serious issues that might need a full roof replacement.