As we make our way through hurricane season, it’s essential to understand the best ways to monitor for roof damage safely. It is also helpful to routinely check for roof damage throughout the rest of the year. Finding a leak or other type of damage before it can grow and get worse helps homeowners save their roofs from further damage, as well as their bank accounts. Check out these four tips from Ryson Roofing for safely appraising your roof for storm damage.
1. Check the Exterior
First off, look for any apparent storm damage that can be seen on your roof from the ground. Debris could have fallen on or blown against your roof, creating a hole or other visible damage. Binoculars can be a helpful tool in spotting problems. Visible damage includes dents or dings to the exterior siding, damaged gutters, and missing or impaired shingles. Call a professional immediately if you see any of these signs or actual debris. The bright side of obvious roof damage is that it can be handled quickly before it has the chance to grow in severity.
2. Check the Interior
Signs of roof damage could also show within the interior of the house. Homeowners should check for leaks, soft spots, and rotted wood in their ceilings and their attic if they have one. The walls could also show similar signs of water damage. Other things to watch out for include signs of animal life or sunlight peeking through the roof. These could point to a newly formed hole along your roof or shingles that are out of place. If your roof has significant damage, these problems should make themselves known relatively quickly and should be dealt with as soon as possible. Getting to the root of these issues as soon as possible can help reduce the risk of mold and mildew problems in your home.
3. Types of Roof Storm Damage
During a hurricane or severe storm, your roof can be damaged by winds, rain, hail, and even lightning. Strong winds can knock shingles and gutters out of place, resulting in water damage to your home. While wind damage to your roof can be hard to spot, damage from hail is much more noticeable. Hail damage looks like dings and little marks across the roof. Hail can chip away or loosen shingles, slowly damaging the exterior of your roofing structure. Rain damage mostly shows itself as slow wear and tear on your roof. Heavy rain can lead to severe water damage if your home’s exterior has already been damaged.
Call a Professional
If you are having trouble assessing the damage your roof has sustained during a storm, it is never a bad idea to check with an expert. A roofing company like Ryson Roofing can inspect your home professionally and provide you with ways to quickly address any damage. To book a free assessment, please call us at (225) 756-8603 or send us a message online.