Living in Arizona means that once our monsoon season hits, many homeowners will brush off the news of bad weather until it’s too late.
Rather than be left in a panic over a storm with greater impact than anticipated, make sure your roof is prepared for the season now and get your roof ready for storms! No matter what type of roof you have, you want to be sure it’s ready to face heavy rains, wind, and thunderstorms.
Should debris come flying through the air, you want to be sure all openings to your home, including windows and doors, are sealed shut and are securely in place.
If a window breaks, the pressure inside your home will increase, which puts it at greater risk for even bigger damages! The last thing you want is to have to get a house window replacement!
After a monsoon storm, you may find yourself looking at damages around your home. In order to properly prepare for your insurance company to send an adjuster to you, start taking photos and videos of your belongings along with their condition.
Anything that is capable of being lifted by wind has the potential to fly into your home or into a neighbor’s home.
You should properly secure any of these items outdoors, or move them inside if that isn’t possible. Things like patio furniture should be put into a garage or shed, and even your vehicle should be kept safely undercover and away from trees that could topple over.
Tree branches should be a minimum of six feet away from your home. When winds are heavy, the branches can lash out like a whip and cause large amounts of damage.
Even outside of storms, branches that go without being properly maintained offer other critters and pests access to portions of your home that would be otherwise inaccessible.
You should be sure that your payments are made and that you have no gap in coverage. If something like a tree falls and damages your home, be sure to contact your insurance company immediately, followed up by a call to a professional and licensed tree service.
Getting the tree removed and roof tarped is the first step, then a trusted roofing contractor can help to repair damages!
Before any storms, make sure your home has been properly taken care of. You’ll want to “batten down the hatches” since the strong wind will be the top factor that affects your roof. Follow these steps to help ensure your roof will be secured against leaks.
Having a professional roofing contractor inspect your roof for weak areas that can cause issues during a severe storm is an important step to take, and it’s something we offer for free here at Mikku & Sons.
Here are some indicators that roof repair or restoration is required, according to your roofing system material:
All flashing should be sealed, properly aligned, and checked for rust, corrosion or separation. Shingle tabs that are curled or lifted from a poor seal or prior wind damage, or those that have lost their protective granules, need to be replaced or resealed.
Your roofing company should also check any vent turbines for proper seal and functionality.
Fasteners, tiles, flashing, ridges, and risers must be in working order. Chipped, delaminated, slipping, or sliding tiles must be repaired, restored, or replaced. Flying tiles can become dangerous projectiles during high-speed winds.
Metal that buckles, fasteners that are the wrong type or are no longer functional, and unsealed or unseated flashing are signs of problem areas on your metal roofing system.
An emergency roof repair inspection for a flat roof means checking for ponding or pooling water, torn, cracked, or broken surfaces, improper or non-functioning fasteners, buckling, poor seals, and overall flashing problems.
