What To Do In Areas with Strong Winds And Heavy Rain or Snow Storms

When you live in an area that is constantly being battered with strong winds and heavy rain (and snow storms), your roof repair and maintenance are bound to be a little more involved than other homeowners. High winds and rains can do major damage to a home, particularly the roof, especially over time.

High winds and rain does a lot more damage than a lot of people realize. This is because the rain is hitting the house at a very high velocity. On top of that, the high winds cause the rain to batter the roof horizontally, which enables the water and wind to cause even more damage.

Loose or Missing Shingles

While one or two loose or missing shingles might not be a big deal, a whole lot of them, leaves your roof unprotected and can lead to more damage. If the wind is strong enough, it can not only move the shingles, but the material (or “membrane) underneath them.

If you live in an area that deals with intense weather like this very often, it is important that you check your roof for loose or missing shingles every time a big storm like that comes through. With any luck, you can keep up with small occurrences of missing shingles and avoid bigger problems.

Roof Stress

After being beaten with harsh winds and rains and whatever debris happens to accompany them, part of your roof can start to show signs of stress. This can mean dipping or sagging in areas where the roof can no longer handle the weight of the weather and the stress it is causing.

Dipping or sagging areas in the roof are serious issues that need to be repaired immediately. A professional roofer needs to see to this kind of damage.

Leaks

One of the most common roofing issues, often caused by missing shingles or roof stress, is a leaking roof.

Sometimes, leaks can be pretty obvious and leak straight into your home. Your ceiling might be discolored, or bowing under the pressure of collected water.

Other times, a leak in the roof might be less apparent. Especially if you have an attic that you do not visit often, you might not even be aware of weaknesses in your roof.

Even the smallest leaks can become a huge problem if they are not detected and repaired in a reasonable amount of time. A little bit of water can do a huge amount of damage if it gets into the wiring or other certain areas of your home.

If you live in an area that experiences strong winds and rain on a regular basis, you need to inspect your roof on a regular basis, especially after particularly violent storms. Or, if your area has been recently hit by a big storm, you need to check for damage even if just one storm has come through. A lot of big problems start small, so if you catch them early enough they might never evolve.