Storm damage can affect your roof, your building, your spending, and your wellbeing. Keep your building dry and your savings under control by following this post-storm protocol.
There are plenty of elements that can have a substantial effect on your roofing system. Yes, your roof is designed to protect your building from hazardous weather conditions, but there’s only so much that it will be able to withstand. Regardless of what type of roof you have, over time it is going to endure a significant amount of pressure from the elements like rain, hail, and snow. While these are all alarming concerns, they are only stimulated by your roof’s greatest stress factor—wind.
Any time that you are not properly caring for your roof following a strong gust of winds, you shrink the lifespan of your roofing system, dilute the value of your building, and increase indoor health hazards. When you neglect your roof, you are essentially setting yourself up for an expensive repair or even an early replacement project.
In this blog, you’ll learn not only how to protect your roof from dangerous winds, but more importantly, how to prevent roof repair costs from skyrocketing.
How to Identify and Manage Wind Damage
In order to protect your roof dangerous winds, you’ll need to know how the protocol works. Yes, you’ll need to clean up storm damage, but there is a lot more to the process. Fortunately, you can streamline the remedy efforts with just three easy steps:
1. Perform a roof inspection
Once a storm has passed, it’s important to walk your roof and do some damage control. Now, you can complete this step by yourself, but for best results, you’ll probably want to have a professional by your side. Roofing specialists have a very extensive checklist. Not only will they be responsible for examining the condition of the surface area itself, but they’ll also have a sharp eye for damages in any of the following areas:
- Composition shingles: This includes damaged or missing shingles as well as shingles that have started to curl or lose layers of granulation.
- Wood shingles: You’ll want to look for shingles that have started to mold, decay, or split.
- Flat roof systems: Watch out for cracks, tears, blisters, damaged patches, and other punctures on the surface.
- Flashing: Monitor areas that have penetrated and make note of any tears or buckles that you might come across.
- Roof cement: Be alarmed of any excess cement especially if it appears crumbled.
- Gutters: You’ll need to unclog your gutters of excess debris and any ice dams that build up. You’ll want to have a checklist for any decay, rust, leaky seams, saggy pipes, missing downspouts, or loose attachments.
- Chimneys: Chimney system are independent structures, so you’ll need to examine it with a completely different level of care. You’ll need to check each layer of brick and make note of any that are found missing, loose, or cracked.
- Ridge vents: When inspecting the roof, you’ll need to be on the lookout for flashing, and curled shingles that surround the ventilation systems.
2. Monitor the indoor environment
If you start to notice any water damage or ugly stains on your ceiling or walls, then this is a clear sign that your roof has been crippled by the wind. You’ll want to keep an eye out for yellow, brown, or grey moisture marks. Make note of any peeling layers of paint that cross your attention as well. You’ll also want to check out the attic and look for any leaks that might’ve seeped through the rafters. Finally, if you notice a rise in utility expenses, then you’ll need to take a closer look at your ventilation system to make sure that it hasn’t been compromised from roof damages that stem from wind-related dangers.
3. Contact the Experts at Rainville Carlson
When it comes to roof repair in Minnesota, the experts at Rainville Carlson are always fit for the job. Since 1927, our team has been the ultimate source for roof protection, repairs, and replacements. We work tirelessly to keep your roof in tiptop shape to fulfill our promise of keeping your building dry, your tenants safe, and your savings high.
If your roof has suffered any recent wind damage, then don’t panic. Your path to restoration is just one call away. Secure the peace of mind that you deserve by scheduling a free roof inspection with one of our certified roofing specialists.
