Facing the Roof Repair Crisis Together: A Roof Can Be Damaged By One Night Of Storm. Every night, roofs can be seriously damaged by a variety of natural and other causes. A storm can dislodge shingles. Ice can form unsightly and potentially destructive ice dams. Trees can fall on homes during strong winds. A tree falling on a home needs to be repaired as quickly as possible in order to prevent damage to the interior of the home and to prevent costs to repair damage from increasing.
Unless you have dealt with a leaking roof in the past, a sudden failure of your roof can be quite a shock to a homeowner. In the first place, you may be unaware of how to handle the situation in the best manner. Homeowners typically search for a means to cover up the leaking area or sections of the home to try and fix the problem yourself until a time when a roofer is available to complete the necessary repairs. However, there is a safe, more organized way to handle sudden roof failures to prevent any additional damage to your home.
Immediate damage assessment and safety measures
If there is water leaking into your home due to a roof failure, your first priority is to make sure the water does not continue to leak and cause additional damage. Sometimes it is easier to identify the extent of the damage from the inside of the home rather than from the outside of the home. Many roof failures allow water to penetrate the roof through the roof’s exterior line and then travel down the roof’s structural members (such as rafter ends, roofing insulation, etc.) before leaking out of the wall.
After checking for water damage inside of your home look for the same type of signs of damage outside of your home. Take clear pictures and document all signs of damage. It will help prove to your insurance company that you need to have a claim granted as well as help any contractors that you hire to repair your roof. You should also get a good look at your roof from the ground with binoculars for signs such as: missing shingles, curled shingles, damaged shingles, buckled flashing around vents, missing flashing around vents such as skylights and chimneys, as well as any other punctures in the roof.
Some roof damage can be visible from the ground. It is more common to not see the damage from the ground. The damage could be allowing water to enter your home from wind lifted shingles that have not been completely removed.
Be certain to switch off the power supply to the part of the home that has been affected by any leaking water. Then as far as is possible move as much as possible of the contents of the room to the far side of the room to allow for access to and from the leaking area of the roof. The leaking water can run along the rafters of the roof and penetrate the building insulation before appearing as a leak at a lower point in the home. Put leaking water into buckets, etc. in order to attempt to prevent any damage from the leaking water.
Record all activity. Take pictures of everything. Note the time and date for all entries.
Temporary protection strategies that actually work
Many homeowners make the mistake of covering a damaged portion of a roof with a tarp in an improper fashion. This can include using the wrong type of tarp or improper securing methods and placement. Many homeowners have the best of intentions when covering a leaky section of roof with a tarp but end up causing more damage in the long run. Even the best materials can cause problems if they are not used in the proper manner.
The tarp or roofing repair material must extend at least three feet below the roof’s edge on all sides of the damaged area. Typically hardware stores carry the heavy-duty blue poly tarps made for outdoor use as tarps for roofing. Although these can work well as tarps for roofing repairs for short amounts of time, they deteriorate fast in direct sunlight and in windy weather.
Securing the tarp properly is a crucial step to effective emergency roof repair. One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make during an emergency roof repair is trying to secure the tarp with weights such as bricks or sandbags. As the homeowner tries to lift the tarp up over the roof and secure it to the roof, the weight will shift and a hole will be created in the tarp. This will allow water to continue to leak into the home causing more damage.
The most critical component of securing a tarp to a roof are the roofing nails with large washers on them. By using these type of nails you can nail the tarp down into the solid wood framing of the roof. Space these nails out about 18 inches along the edges of the tarp. Be sure to include the ends of the tarp as well. Do not rely on any amount of bricks or sandbags to hold the tarp in place. These can easily be dislodged in high winds and cause more damage than good. Instead, rely on your large washered roofing nails for the best results.
In emergency situations temporary roof repair may be needed by homeowners until they can get permanent repairs done. This can be done by a professional in hours and can cost less than the additional damage a poorly done DIY attempt could cause.
When to call professionals versus DIY approaches
Most small repairs on single story homes in decent weather can be repaired by the homeowner, especially if they have experience with repairs. For example, someone who has experience with shingling might be able to make a good repair for a small area of a single story home with a low to the ground pitch in decent weather.
Some repairs are doable by a homeowner that is very experienced with repairs, and others are best left to a professional roofer. If you have a simple roof, a single story home, and good weather, then you can likely replace some missing shingles on your roof. A roof is a complex system, however, and some roofs are more complicated than others. Homes with very steeply pitched roofs, homes with many angles and lines to follow, and homes with tile roofs are best left to a professional roofer.
Be sure to check the weather before attempting any repair. In wet weather and in icy conditions it is not safe to be on a roof. High winds can cause further damage and can even create hazardous conditions while trying to repair a damaged area of the roof. An emergency roof repair Baltimore service will have all of the proper equipment to complete the repairs to your roof when the weather is not in your favor.
Insurance claim process and documentation
Call your insurance provider as soon as possible and report the claim in writing within 24 hours. Make sure to have all documentation of damage ready for your insurance adjuster such as: photos of damage, invoices for emergency repair work, contractors quotes for repair, and documentation for any other emergency work done to mitigate damage.
For those that do have to file an insurance claim for storm damage to your roof, it is very important that you have a complete file of documentation of the damages to your roof as well as any repairs that are done to fix the leaks. Take plenty of photos of the area of the roof that was damaged as well as any water damage that occurred as a result of the leaks. Also, be sure to include in your documentation any receipts for supplies that you may have had to purchase for the temporary repairs as well as any estimates that you obtained from contractors to fix the damage. It is also a good idea to keep a record of any emergency services that you may have had to use in order to repair any damages to your home.
Preventing future emergency situations
The best way to have a roof that does not need to be repaired in an emergency is to perform routine maintenance to your roof to prevent it from failing. Make sure you clean your gutters and downspouts regularly, keep trees and shrubs cut back away from your home, make sure to repair any worn or damaged flashing prior to the storm season.
Having a good relationship with a reputable roofer before a storm or accident occurs is key. In order to have a good relationship with a roofer you need to do your homework prior to time of need and have their number in your phone. Otherwise you will be searching for a referral from a friend or co-worker at the worst time.
