Did you know that the average cost of a roof replacement is between $5,434 to $11,151? This is a lot of money for anyone and when hurricane season comes around, the last thing you want to worry about is having to pay for a new roof if your old one gets destroyed. But is there really anything you can do to protect your roof against strong winds and heavy rain?
As it turns out there are quite a few things you can do to ensure that your roof stays protected throughout hurricane season. By preparing your roof, you won’t have to worry so much about loose shingles and roof repairs after the storm has passed. Keep reading to learn more about how to prepare your roof for hurricane season.
Evaluate Your Roof
Before you do anything to prepare your roof, you will want to get a roof inspection.
It is best to hire a professional to do this so that you don’t miss out on any important problems that your roof might have. It is important to get a roof evaluation because if the structure of your roof isn’t sound, there’s no point in getting it prepared for hurricane season in the first place because it will need repairs anyway.
During a roof evaluation, you will be looking for a few particular things. For example, you will need to check the state of your roof’s membrane. The roof membrane is important for keeping out water.
If the membrane has any tears, you can imagine that it would be easy for your roof to spring a leak, especially during a bad storm. Besides the membrane, you will also need to check the quality of the downspouts and gutters. The gutters are essential for redirecting water away from your house and preventing structural damage to your home and its foundation.
Gutters and Shingles
If you find that your gutters are loose during the evaluation, you will have to get them fixed. Having your gutters blow away in the wind during a hurricane won’t help your roof or your home. The state of the roof shingles is also important.
If any of the shingles are loose or look worn down, you may need to get them replaced. You should aim to get a roof evaluation every year, especially if you live in an area that is often hit by hurricanes. If you’re very concerned about your roof, you can even get two evaluations every year, one before and one after hurricane season.
This will ensure that your roof isn’t hiding any signs of damage that will only get worse during hurricane season.
Trim Any Trees Surrounding Your House
It’s no secret that trees like to fall down and wreak havoc during hurricane season. If your house has trees nearby, especially large trees, it may be a good idea to remove some of the larger branches. If a strong wind happens to come by and knock one of the branches loose, you wouldn’t be able to do anything about the branch coming down on your roof and destroying it.
But if you chop down the branch ahead of time, you won’t have to worry about this problem in the first place. If you have very old trees surrounding your house, it may be a good idea to remove them completely. Old trees are more brittle than young trees and don’t sway as much against a strong gust of wind.
For that reason, they will be more likely to fall and there is a good chance the trees could fall on your house if the wind is blowing just right.
Tree Problems
A tree falling down on a house could cause some serious and sometimes even irreparable damage. While the trees on your property might be quite scenic, it isn’t worth having them if there is a chance that they could destroy your roof and possibly even your entire house.
You should especially be on the lookout for dead tree branches. Dead branches can easily disguise themselves among other, healthy branches in the trees surrounding your house. Dead branches are very weak and brittle and there is a good chance that they could fall on your house if a strong wind blows them.
If you find any dead tree branches, be sure to remove them before hurricane season comes around.
Clean Out Your Gutters
Going out of your way to clean your gutters may not sound like the most important task when it comes to preparing your roof for hurricane season, but it is much more important than you might expect. As mentioned before, your gutters are very important for directing water from your roof down to the ground and away from your house.
If your gutters are clogged, they won’t be able to do this and they will overflow as a result.
The problem with this is that overflowing gutters can cause serious damage to your property. The weight of the water falling from such a high height down to the ground can tear up the earth around your house. Besides that, the water will start to soak down into your home’s foundation.
If you’re not careful, the water can end up seriously damaging your house’s foundation. You won’t have to deal with this problem as long as you clean out the gutters before hurricane season comes around.
How to Prepare Your Roof for Hurricane Season
Preparing your roof for hurricane season can be time-consuming, but you will find that it is worth it. By getting a roof inspection, trimming the trees around your house, and cleaning out your gutters, your roof should be good to go.
To learn more about roofing, contact us here.
