Storms can affect your property in many ways. The part of your home that is most susceptible to storm damage is your roof. After a torrential storm, there’s a possibility that you will find your roof shingles and flashing missing, falling sidings, damaged and clogged gutters, and many others. Heavy rain brought by the storm may also overflow from the roofing system, resulting in flooding in the surrounding area.
A damaged roof needs immediate attention in order to prevent further roofing issues. In order to be able to deal with the issues properly, you have to learn how to spot the signs of storm damage. Before going out to inspect your roof, make sure that the storm has already passed. Stay away from potential safety hazards like downed power lines, fallen trees, electrical hazards, and others. Then look for the following signs:
Signs of Roof Damage
- Hail damage
Damages caused by hail are generally easy to spot. Hail is balls and lumps of ice that are compact and can dent your roof and damage its shingles. Inspect your roof for missing shingles or gaps in between each shingles and roofing pattern. Hail can cause your shingles to bend, buckle, or crack. Check your flashes, downspouts, and gutters too. You will know if your roof received a good beating from the hail if you see loose asphalt granules that have collected in your gutter.
- Wind damage
Wind is another natural occurrence that can cause severe damage to your roof. If strong winds could knock off large trees, how much more the shingles and flashing on your roofs? When this happens, your roof deck will be exposed to elements like rain, causing more serious roofing problems. After the storm, make sure to inspect your roof and look for missing or curling shingles, rotting shingles if they are made of wood, or the buildup of loose granules in your gutter. Don’t forget to check your chimney too.
- Water damage
Most of the time, when there is a storm, there is also rain. Water damage to your roof is not as easy to spot as wind and hail damage. If the problem is left unnoticed and untreated, it can result in water leaking inside your home, damaging its structure. After the heavy rain, check your gutter that might have clogged it. Remove everything that hinders the proper flow of water. Heavy rain can also cause missing, cracking, and curling of shingles. Check your ceilings and walls too for possible water spots and discoloration. Don’t forget your basement, attic, and crawl spaces. You will know if water has penetrated the space if there is a musty smell in the air.
If you have spotted these signs after inspecting your roofing system, contact your insurance for possible claims. An insurance adjuster may also pay your home a visit to assess the damage. In this case, you might want to consider contacting a professional roofing contractor to make an estimation so you will have an idea of the cost. Finally, don’t leave any damage unfixed. Call a trusted roofing company to fix the damage caused by the storm and restore the condition of your roof.
