Hurricane season is something we know we have to prepare for with ongoing hurricane maintenance. Despite some best efforts, each season is a learning curve, bringing new insights into ways that maintenance should be carried out before hurricane warnings begin. How many of us have sat around tables sharing tales of our experiences, post hurricane, which hindsight indicates could have been avoided? With each one, we learn more about how to prepare. Undoubtedly, we would all doubtlessly rather avoid collecting such stories.
Some of the least desirable hurricane damage scenarios involve roofing and its maintenance. Once the roof goes, every other precious belonging is exposed to the turbulence that hurricanes bring with them. It never hurts to gather more and more hurricane maintenance information to avoid the aftermath stories. Our roofs are vulnerable in this season. There are so many ways that roofing can be affected.
Forms of Damage
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How it happens
The pressure that builds up when hurricane winds blow against and around your home can cause damage in a number of ways. Depending on the type, or state, of your roof, you may lose sections of your roofing structure or entire roofs. If damage causes part of your roof to be lifted, the gaps will affect the way pressure builds up inside your home, which may cause the roof to lift altogether.
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Resulting damage
Any airborne material then becomes a further hazard to the rest of your property. Anything that becomes airborne during a hurricane could account for large amounts of the damage that ensues, post hurricane. Furthermore, water leaking in to your home brings an array of problems over and above structural damage.
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Weak spots
Porch roofing is often not as sturdy as the rest of the roofing. This could present a hazard in that if this part of the roofing is pulled away will inevitably lead to damage reaching further into your home. A home should be surveyed for weak spots of any sort.
Risk Factors
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Projectiles
Loose pieces of furniture, or roof tiles, and other equipment blown from your property or surrounding can cause damage to the roofing of your home. Damage in this case could leave your roof vulnerable to the pressure created, increasing the chances of the roof being uplifted and causing sections to blow off.
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Roof fixtures
Fixtures attached to your roof can pose a hazard. Ventilators, solar panels, and air-conditioning systems, if not properly secured and/or covered, can cause severe damage to your roofing structure. Pipes, guttering and cable also need to be properly secured. Heavy objects being rolled across your roof, or flapping items, create additional damage and risk that is avoidable.
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Overhanging features
Any overhanging fixtures create a higher risk of roofing, or sections of roofing, being torn off during a storm. Soffits and such fixtures, if not installed properly, can cause water to enter the house over and above the possibility of losing your roof. Gable ends can cause the sheathing to be ripped off of your roofing, leaving your home exposed to secondary problems.
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Water damage
In the above points, it is clear that water coming into the home from gaps in the roof is less than desirable. Even if your roof remains intact during a hurricane, any leaking spots from a lack of maintenance or from poor roofing installation jobs create the space for water to get in. The length of time it will take without functioning equipment will inevitably lead to mold and other humidity related problems.
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Hurricane maintenance
Small issues can lead to greater expenses down the line. Ensuring that the risky elements of your roof are secure can lessen the damage during a hurricane. Delays in repairs can also make things worse.
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Insurance
Another, secondary hazard is insurance claims, which can be denied if proper care and repair was not done. This should be checked, possibly by someone who could document any issues or guarantee that you were clear of any responsibility.
Some things can only be done when the season hits, but other scenarios can be well avoided with the right kind of action taken year round. Take care of the little things, all year round. When a hurricane warning sounds, there is no time amidst the securing of household goods to consider what could go wrong on your roof.
