Protect Your Roof

4 Ways To Protect Your Roof This Hurricane Season

Hurricanes can be scary; what can be even scarier is not being properly prepared. Hurricane season runs through June-November. Destructive storms are inevitable in the tropical south, so being well prepared is the only way to ensure that you make the best out of the season. Your roof goes through the most strain when it comes to your house going through a hurricane. Take the following steps to ensure your roof has the best chance to withstand the severe weather that is to come.

Water Barriers

Ensuring your roof has a strong water barrier will help keep the inside of your home dry if any damage was to happen to your house. Water barriers help especially if there are strong winds blowing shingles off of your roof. Without a sturdy barrier, missing shingles will allow water to seep through the cracks. Having a sufficient water barrier also helps insulate your home, making it more energy efficient and saving you money in the long run; and not just during hurricane season.

Anchor Your Roof

Anchoring your roof to your house will create tension to hold your home together when the strong winds come. Anchoring floor to floor, wall to the ceiling will establish a continuous load path. When your home doesn’t have strong anchoring, you will begin to see issues. If there are breaks in the load path, you will see immediate damage in these areas when winds pick up. This doesn’t just mean your roof may lift; this can cause exterior damage, roof damage, or even cause interior walls to collapse. Anchoring your roof and the rest of your home is something to be taken very seriously.

Reinforcing Gable Ends

A gable style roof is one of the most popular found across the country today. Any gable that measures over 4ft will highly benefit this hurricane season by being reinforced by the top and from the bottom. This will help to keep walls from collapsing, or separating at seams from the roof.

Reinforcing Any Skylights

Skylights are very common design aspects to most houses. Skylights let in direct sunlight from the roof. These windows are notorious for being the first to break or crack during harsh weather conditions, due to their location and vulnerability. Taping “X’s” over the window is a great first step to ensuring they don’t shatter if any debris hits it. Re-Caulking windows before storms can also help the durability when the high winds come, to ensure you keep your home staying dry and safe.

Hurricane-proofing your roof is one of the biggest responsibilities that come with living in the tropical south. If the right precautions are not taken hurricane season can be scary for your family, and your bank account. Damage to houses during hurricanes is no joke and can cost you thousands of dollars and months to repair. Taking the simple steps listed above can ensure you give your home the best defense against this hurricane season. Mitchell Roofing Company LLC offers emergency roof repairs and has been doing so for more than 2 decades. You can trust the licensed, professional roofing experts at Mitchell Roofing.