Florida is prone to severe hurricanes due to the warm water temperatures. Hurricanes are often characterized by heavy rains, strong winds, and often destructive storm surges. These can cause a wide range of structural damage to your roof and your home. Some winds are strong enough to rip a roof off or completely tear the house off the foundation. While hurricanes can be dangerous killers, proper hurricane preparedness can reduce the chances of significant property damage and injury.
Preparing Your Roof and Home for Hurricane Season
Schedule an Inspection
The first step to protecting your roof from hurricane damage is keeping up with regular maintenance throughout the year. Having a reputable local roofing contractor check your roof before hurricane season will ensure there are no roof problems that a hurricane can worsen.
Your contractor will inspect your roof, perform repairs, and double-check the structural integrity of your roof. They will look at all areas of your roof, including flashings, roof covering, gutters, fasteners, and any mounted equipment.
Trim Nearby Trees and Shrubs
Strong hurricane winds can overpower almost everything, including cars, furniture, and thick tree roots. Trees, in particular, pose a significant threat to people’s roofs. Heavy tree limbs that hang over your home can cause a large amount of damage to the roof when it lands on your home during hurricane season.
Right before hurricane season, take a walk around the house and identify oversized, dead, or broken trees and tree branches. These can be torn from trees during a storm and land on your building. Have a tree trimmer prune your trees so the wind can pass through rather than blow them down.
Clean Out the Gutters
Your gutters can get filled with twigs, leaves, and debris during the hurricane season. Full or clogged gutters can cause moisture to collect in certain areas of the roof. Over time, the backed-up water will sit on the roof, increasing the risk of roof leaks. A blocked gutter can also break away from the fascia, causing more damage to your home’s roof and other areas.
Cleaning your gutters and ensuring they are debris-free is essential to maintaining the integrity of your roof.
Secure Any Yard Furniture and Objects
Flying debris is one of the major dangers of a hurricane. You don’t want to see your trampoline flying through the air during a storm. When exposed to hurricane-force winds, small yard furniture, tools, bikes, building materials, and other objects can easily become flying projectiles.
We suggest moving them to the garage or shed to protect your home and family against flying projectiles. Large objects that can’t be moved indoors should be tied down.
Have Loose Shingles or Tiles Fixed
The high-force winds of a hurricane can put a lot of wear and tear on a roof in disrepair. Worn down or loose tiles and shingles can come loose when a storm strikes. The tiles and shingles can cause additional damage when they become loose and become projectiles. In addition, this missing roof covering exposes your home to the elements.
You want to ensure your roof can withstand damaging hurricane events. Be sure that any loose, damaged, or missing shingles or tiles are fixed before hurricane season.
Keep Up to Date with Roof Documentation
Even with all the preparations, a hurricane can be strong enough to cause significant damage to your roof and home. Repairs and replacements can be pretty costly. It might make you feel better to know that your insurance will cover a good portion of the repairs.
You can be a step ahead of your neighbors by having your documentation in a safe and easily accessible place. Go over your deductibles and policy ahead of time to be familiar with how much damage will be covered if your home is damaged.
Have a Disaster Plan
Teach your family members what to do during a hurricane and the steps to take if you must evacuate. Knowing your town’s evacuation route is also essential, especially if you live near the coast. Be sure to have a well-stocked emergency kit in your plan.
Benefits of Hurricane Preparedness
Hurricane preparedness covers homeowners’ planning measures before a crisis to ensure fast and effective responses. The main aim is to analyze potential threats, assess vulnerabilities, and develop a plan to limit the impact of a disaster.
Having a plan in place allows you to protect yourself, your family, and your home from the effects of a hurricane. It helps minimize damage, save lives, and mitigate stress. Hurricane preparedness can avoid a lot of headaches later on.
Hurricane Damage Repair Service
As your home’s first line of defense against the elements, your roof will withstand strong winds and heavy rain created by hurricanes. If you are concerned that a hurricane has jeopardized the integrity of your Jacksonville roof, rely on StormForce for a roof inspection, repair, and restoration services. Our experts will make sure every part of your roof system and home is prepared for hurricane season. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.