How to Check Your Roof for Storm Damage

It is good to at least be able to perform basic maintenance of your roof by yourself. And one of the most important aspects of such maintenance is checking your roof for damage. To this end, here is a guide on how to check your roof for storm damage to get you started on learning the basics!

Safety is paramount

Before you try to check your roof for storm damage, it is important to understand that any roof-related activity needs to be approached with care. A single misstep or a wobbly ladder can easily cause a serious accident. It is not worth risking your well-being over simple maintenance. So, if you are not sure you can do the job safely, it is better to contact roofing professionals and have them do the job. Having said that, as long as you are cautious, take time to properly prepare, and never make any sudden or reckless moves while you are at the height of your roof, you should be just fine. It is even possible to do part of the checks from the ground if you have a good view of your roof from your yard.

Missing or damaged shingles

One of the most common post-storm damage to a roof is missing or damaged shingles. Missing shingles are very easy to spot. All you need to do is look at the patter of your shingles to easily spot breaks in them. Your shingles can also get dented, curled, or cracked, which is much harder to notice and will require close-up checks. Naturally, any missing or damaged shingles are a serious problem and need to be replaced quickly. Depending on the type of shingles, this can either be simple or very difficult and expensive. You might even have to move out for the duration of repairs depending on the weather and their extent. In which case, it is extremely helpful to rent out a storage unit to protect your belongings. This means storage supplies are among some things you will need and will increase your expenses.

Problems with your gutters? Check your roof for storm damage

An important reason to check your roof is gutter problems. At first glance, it can seem like a storm has caused no damage to your roof. No leaks, no damaged shingles, nothing. However, storms tend to pick up debris and hurtle it onto your room, which then mostly ends up in your gutters. If you have damaged shingles, then fragments of them can also end up in your gutters. All of this debris then opens up the possibility for all sorts of problems to occur. The best-case scenario is just having your gutters clogged. This is one of the common problems with residential roofs, to begin with, and can be quickly sorted out. One of the more serious issues is standing water caused by debris accumulation, which can eventually start seeping into your wall. And such conditions can also attract infestations, which is even worse.

Wind damage

Wind can cause a variety of issues with your roof. It can make your shingles lose, which would allow water to slip under them and cause damage to your home. It can loosen or start crumbling roofing cement, which, in turn, will make your shingles lose purchase. It’s even possible for extremely strong winds to loosen your chimney’s bricks. It should be very obvious why this is a bad thing that needs to be handled quickly. If your chimney starts to crumble, it will cause your roof to at least partially cave in, forcing you to evacuate your home. If you do end up in such a situation and want to keep your items safe, the storage experts from a2bmovingandstorage.com advise you should get climate-controlled storage. Some of your temperature-sensitive belongings can end up ruined otherwise.

Leaks or watermarks

If a storm is followed by lots of rainfall, then there is always a chance that even the slightest faults in your roof will start showing. This is a good example of why you should get a roof inspection before buying a home since such faults are often spotted during one. The good news is, you won’t need to get onto your roof to find them! The bad news is that your attic might get at least partially flooded. So, it is sometimes smart to check your roof for storm damage even while the storm is ongoing. If there is anything positive to this scenario, it is that you will be able to accurately hunt down all the leaks in your roof. The small faults and weaknesses will also be revealed, and you can patch them up.

Check your seams 

Another common problem caused by storms that necessitate you to check your roof for damage is the tearing, twisting, or buckling of flashing. Flashing can be made of a few different materials, but its role is always to cover over the seams in your roofs, such as where your chimney meets your shingles, in order to prevent leaks and water seepage. A strong storm can still damage even the most resistant flashing, however. Which means that your home would be robbed of its protection.

Structural issues

While it is rare for storms to cause a roof’s sagging, it is possible. And, if your roof was already structurally unsound or even starting to sag, a storm can definitely make things worse. The most obvious example of this is leftover puddles of water where your roof is bending, which will most definitely start to drain away into the inside of your attic. Not to mention the additional weight risk to a structurally unsound roof. If you check your roof for storm damage and notice something like this, contact a professional immediately!

Final warnings

Even though you now know roughly how to check your roof for storm damage, if you do detect signs of a problem, you should call professionals to assist you with taking care of them. Attempting any sort of DIY roof repairs is a good way to get yourself seriously hurt. Any work done on a roof requires a lot of care and knowledge and isn’t something an amateur can handle.