Severe storms produce strong winds that can tear off shingles, blow debris into your home and crack windows. Throw in some precipitation—especially heavy rain, hail storms, and heavy snow—and your roof can suffer further storm damage. Spotting this damage before it manifests itself as severe structural and water damage is key. Roof damage can, however, be difficult for the untrained eye to spot. And spotting storm damage early is paramount to mitigating its detrimental impact on your home or facility.
There are 2 key steps you need to do in the wake of a storm:
Before you do anything, make sure you are being safe. Climbing around on your roof can be dangerous, and the more stories in your house, the more careful you’ll need to be. Also, avoid power lines. Those can hurt you.
With that out of the way, you can typically spot storm damage from a vantage point of your ladder. Look for shingles that are curled up or missing entirely. This is a clear-cut sign that your roof experienced some wind damage or some other form of storm damage. This is a pretty serious situation since damaged or missing shingles caused by high winds can lead to water leaking into your home, which can lead to mold, termites or serious structural damage.
Also, some existing damage to your rooftop means there may already be some heavy rain that seeped through. With that in mind, check areas of your home that correspond with the damaged parts of your roof. You might find there are small water stains on your ceiling or in the corners of your drywall. The presence of water damage further reinforces that your home sustained some serious storm damage and needs expert attention quickly.
Hail damage, however, is harder to spot on roofs. This shows up as pockmarks or dents throughout roofing systems. Harder to spot still, storms can wear down protective outer coatings and granules. To spot any type of roof storm damage, you’ll need to know what you’re looking for.
If you have experienced a severe storm in your area and you’re concerned about the integrity of your roof, it’s best to have the PROS at Roofing & Exterior PROS come to take a look and provide a free inspection report and estimate.
First off, an experienced roofing contractor can accurately evaluate the extent of the damage and provide you with the best solution moving forward. The priority following severe weather and damage is to make any necessary emergency repairs. These will “stop the bleeding” and get your home back to a safe position. Typically, once this immediate problem is solved, contractors will help outline a long term restoration plan. This more robust approach will help solidify your roof’s integrity for years to come.
Once your home is stable, your contractor might suggest a few other odds and ends – cleaning gutters for proper drainage, replacing a few shingles or putting on a protective coating. Any reputable roofing contractor should also suggest a preventative maintenance plan to ensure your roofing system is less vulnerable to hail damage and tornado damage in the future.
Once your home or facility has sustained roof storm damage, you need to file an insurance claim immediately. But, before you do so there are several things you need to know—what notes to document, receipts to keep and photos to take.
The PROS at Roofing & Exterior PROS aid home and business owners in working to prevent future damage through scheduled maintenance.
The PROS at Roofing & Exterior PROS have been assisting in Storm damage restoration, residential roof repairs and replacements, and commercial roofing projects in the greater St. Louis area for years and we’re proud of each of our roof restoration projects. We know that every project is different, which is why we provide our clients with a free, custom tailored inspection and consultation. Our licensed inspectors will take a close look at your home and outline exactly what you need to get everything back to pre-storm condition.
The PROS at Roofing & Exterior PROS have built our exceptional reputation by focusing on developing 5 key traits:
We proudly serve Saint Louis and surrounding areas – including but not limited to: Ellisville, O’Fallon, Saint Peters, Wildwood, Chesterfield, St. Charles, Maryland Heights, Manchester, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Ladue, Frontenac, Kirkwood, southern Illinois, and more – with these 5 principles guiding our every move. Taken together, they create the ultimate level of customer satisfaction that many St. Louis roofing companies simply cannot compete with. Contact us today for a FREE, no-pressure, storm damage inspection. We’ll guide you through exactly what’s needed to restore your home back to pre-storm condition again and work alongside any insurance claims you need assistance with.
