How Can I Protect My Home’s Roof From Storm Damage?

Storm damage is one of the biggest reasons many roofs fail prematurely and need to be replaced. Strong winds, hail, snow and ice can also cause damage that leads to your roof leaking. That's why you must protect your roof from storms before they hit. After a storm, watch for damage. Detecting storm damage early can help you avoid preventable, expensive repairs or roof replacements.

Schedule Regular Roof Inspections

Ensuring that all parts of your roof system remain in good condition is one of the biggest keys to avoiding storm damage. If your roofing materials are in poor condition or already have any damage, it greatly increases the chances of further damage occurring due to hail, strong winds, heavy snow, etc. For instance, shingles tend to become more and more brittle over time as they deteriorate due to sun exposure and weathering. This increases the risk of the shingles breaking or getting ripped off by strong wind gusts or cracking or breaking when hit by hailstones.

The best way to ensure that your roof remains in good condition and doesn't require any repairs or need to be replaced is to have a professional roofing contractor perform regular inspections. If your roof was replaced within the past few years, have it inspected every two to three years. Older roofs should be professionally inspected every year. It's also important to schedule an inspection if your area recently experienced a severe storm that caused any hail or wind damage to other parts of your property or your vehicles. The reason is that if the storm was severe enough to cause other damage, there's a fairly high chance it also caused at least some damage to your roof.

Regular inspections are especially important in places like Denver. The front range often experiences major winter storms and heavy snowfall in the winter and heavy hail in the rest of the year. A roof in good condition can usually support up to two or three feet of snow, depending on how wet and heavy the snow is. If your roof has started sagging or the roof deck or trusses are damaged, heavy snowfall can potentially cause part of it to collapse.

Watch for Signs of Roof Damage and Repair Any Damage Immediately

While regular inspections are important, it's equally as important that you watch out for any signs that can indicate your roof is damaged. That mostly means looking for broken or missing shingles or any broken tree branches or limbs on your roof. If you notice these issues, you should immediately schedule an inspection. If you don't get the damage repaired promptly, there's a much greater chance of your roof leaking or suffering greater damage the next time there's a major thunderstorm, strong winds or heavy snowfall. While minor damage can usually be repaired, you may need to have your roof replaced if your roof has more severe damage.

Make Sure Your Attic Is Sufficiently Insulated and Ventilated

Ensuring that your attic has sufficient insulation and is properly ventilated can help protect your roof from damage during major winter storms. A lack of proper ventilation and insulation leads to an attic being quite warm during the winter as heat rises from the rest of the house. This can lead to ice dams that cause major damage to the roof or gutters.

Under normal circumstances, sunlight will melt snow on the roof from the top down. When the roof is hotter than the air around it, the bottom layer of the snow instead melts faster than the rest of the snow. This then causes snow to begin sliding down the roof, and the snowmelt to freeze once it reaches the eaves where the roof is colder. The snowmelt then often refreezes and creates an ice dam that blocks water from draining off the roof. You'll also often end up with a thick layer of snow extending off the edge of the roof and putting a lot of additional weight on the gutters, which can end up bending the gutter so it no longer drains properly.

Clean Your Gutters Regularly

Keeping your gutters clean is important for ensuring that they drain properly, which helps to prevent the chances of ice dams and leaks. It's generally recommended to clean your gutters or have them professionally cleaned twice a year, once in the spring and then again in the late fall after all of the trees have dropped their leaves. Cleaning your gutters also enables you to tell if your shingles are deteriorating to the point that you need to have your roof replaced. Shingles always lose some of their granules over time, and the granules then end up sitting inside the gutters. If there's a large amount of granules that are starting to clog your gutters, it's a sign that your shingles have started to deteriorate to the point that they'll soon need to be replaced.

Keep Up With Trimming Your Trees

It's always important to keep any trees in your yard trimmed back away from your roof. If any larger branches are overhanging your roof, it increases the chances of your roof getting damaged during a major storm. It's also important to remove dead branches since they are more likely to get broken by strong winds and potentially end up smashing into your roof.

Choose High-Quality Roofing Materials

Not all shingles and roofing materials are equal. Think carefully about what materials to use when replacing your roof. Composite shingles are generally stronger and more durable than most asphalt shingles. That means they can withstand large hail stones, flying debris and strong winds without getting damaged. The only issue with composite shingles is that they are fairly expensive, which is why many people still opt for asphalt shingles.

If you do decide to use asphalt shingles, it can be well worth the added cost of choosing Class 3 or Class 4 impact-resistant shingles that have a higher wind-resistance rating. Class 3 impact-resistant shingles are rated to withstand the impact of hail stones up to 1.75 inches in diameter without cracking or breaking. Class 4 shingles are even stronger and can usually withstand the impact of 2-inch hail stones. The fact that these shingles are less likely to experience hail damage is why many homeowner's insurance providers provide discounts for homes that have impact-resistant shingles. Choosing shingles with a good wind-resistance rating also helps by greatly reducing the chances of the shingles breaking or getting torn off during major thunderstorms.

Rise Renovation is the company to turn to for all of your exterior remodeling and repair needs in Denver. We specialize in the full range of roofing and gutter services, and can also help with your attic insulation, siding, window replacement and door replacement needs. Whether you need a roof inspection or any other service, contact us today for a free estimate.