When hurricane season hits, you’ve got to make sure that your home is ready to weather the storm — literally.   An overlooked weak link to your home is your roof. To best protect your property as well as your family, you’ll want to prepare your roof for hurricane season.  The good news is that it isn’t going to be hard or stressful. It’s all about proper planning!

How to prepare your roof

The wind is only part of the problem

First, the wind is what everyone thinks of when it comes to your roof.  Is wind a problem?  Yes, of course!  It can remove shingles and even blow entire sections of your roof off. But it is only part of the equation.  Rain and often hail often come along for the ride as well and it can weaken your structure’s integrity as well as create damage to your wiring, plumbing, walls, floors and to your property that you have into your home (furniture, soft furnishings, etc.).  When wind and rain come together, there can be a lot of damage done in a short amount of time. And when this happens, there is usually not time to fix this issue until the damage is done, so plan ahead now.

Take note of your property’s weaknesses

You’ll want to consider taking note of what your property’s weaknesses are.  This could be checking for loose shingles or weathered shingles.  It could also be taking a look at your trees and making sure that any close limbs are cut and so on.  Any weaknesses that you see, try to fortify them however you can to make sure your home won’t be impacted should the weather begin to set off on its path of destruction.

Have repair supplies in storage, if possible

If you have space and the funds to do so, it could be a great idea to buy and store any kind of roofing supplies that you think you may need after the storm settles. Since there are a lot of repairs after a hurricane, shortages are normal, let alone being able to get out to the home improvement store.  Get your roof back to its best shape faster and cheaper by buying the supplies in advance before the need hits!

Make sure you’ve got the right insurance

You’ll also want to have a meeting with your insurance agent and make sure that you’ve got the proper insurance policy in place for your home.  Since traditional homeowner’s insurance doesn’t always include hurricane/windstorm or flooding protection, it’s a good idea to make sure that you’ve got the extra policy in place to protect your budget and your stress levels should you need to submit a claim. Each state varies as well as each insurance carrier so be sure to have a conversation with your insurance agent.

Schedule an inspection before and after hurricane season

Lastly, but perhaps most important, you’ll want to schedule an inspection of your roof at least before hurricane season but also likely after as well.  A licensed roofing professional can screen for weaknesses and other things that can create problems for your roof as well as your home in general.  Doing the fix before a hurricane hits is always going to be a lot better than doing it after! And, it could be the difference between protecting your home and belongings to having to file a claim to replace them all.

Strengthening and protecting your roof is going to be critical to keeping your home, property and loved ones safe if a hurricane hits.  Take these steps seriously and you’ll put your home in the best shape possible to weather the storm.

Contact Affordable Roofing by John Cadwell for a roof inspection or with any roofing questions. We are conveniently located in Kissimmee and Tavares, FL but can service the surrounding areas. Just contact us with questions.  We can assist with your residential and commercial roofing service needs or provide emergency roof tarping, roof overs, new construction and more. Contact us at (407) 935-0050 now.