Roof Damage – Causes, Prevention and Care

The sun may be shining today, but we are at the cusp of a season when the weather can cause the most damage. Tornadoes and thunderstorms produce wind, hail and flying debris that can put the roof of your home in shambles. However, prepared homeowners know how to take preventative measures, and know what to do if a beautiful spring storm brings not-so-lovely results.

Hail Damage

Hail is the most common cause for noticeable roof damage. How much damage suffered fully depends upon the size of the hail, the pitch of your roof and the contributions from the wind (such as direction and force). Since you can’t do anything to change the size of the hail and the wind force, and your roof pitch may be better in some circumstances but worse in others, preventing damage from hail is a slight oxymoron.

What you can do, however, is have your roof inspected before the hard season hits, along the end of winter and beginning of spring. Have HA Construction check your roof for any loose shingles or areas that need patching before damaging hail comes battering on your home like a drum solo at a rock concert. If you roof shingles are already in bad shape, it just opens up the space for far more damage that you want to deal with.

Consider tagging along as Andy and his crew examine your roof space, so that you know what to look for after a hailstorm hits. If you do suffer hail damage to your roof, contact your home owners insurance immediately (it’s also a good idea to make sure hail damage is part of your coverage plan) to get the claims process moving – and don’t forget to recommend HA Construction for the repair work.

Damage from Tree Branches

We Missourians know a thing or two about the damage that tree branches can cause, even in the middle of winter (think ice storm circa 2007). Whether it’s ice causing tree branches and limps to break and fall on your roof, or storms blowing them with increasing impact into your shingles, tree branches can cause significant damage. Even in the best of circumstances, small limps can get up under your shingles and cause damage over time.

In that regard, you should have the trees surrounding your home checked and pruned periodically. The recommendation is for young trees with a diameter of three to 12 inches to be trimmed/pruned every one to three years. Older trees, with a diameter of 13 to 30 inches, should be pruned every four to six years.

It’s important to note that, unless you have training, you probably shouldn’t prune the trees yourself because you can cause detrimental damage. Instead, hire a professional tree service that has certified arborists on staff, so they will protect the integrity of your trees for years to come.

Wind Damage

Yes, well, there is absolutely nothing you can do about the wind, and all it takes is 20-30 mph and you can have damage to a roof that’s not in ideal working order – not to mention the debris that comes along with it. The preventive measures for the damage wind can cause is simply making sure your shingles are nailed down appropriately and the wind can’t get up underneath them, causing them to loosen and blow off. HA Construction, of course, can examine your roof and make sure everything is properly in its place.

Damage Due to Poor Maintenance

Roofs with little to no pitch (or slope) tend to see the most damage on a yearly basis, so you’ll need to stay consistent with repairs. If not properly maintained, flashing (which creates a water tight boundary between sections of your roof) in bad shape can cause leaks, so be sure to have that checked as well.

As you may have concluded, a poorly maintained roof can make your damage problems far worse in the end. It’s important to have your roof inspected yearly so that you can have any problem areas repaired prior to stormy weather.