How Do You Protect Your Roof From Strong Winds?

When storm season arrives, many homeowners worry about whether their home can weather the storms and come out intact. Roof damage caused by high winds is common, and after these type of weather events, many find themselves in need of a roofing contractor to repair damages sustained from wind. Before the winds begin to blow again this year, homeowners in hurricane zones should consider hiring residential and commercial roofing services to examine their roof and determine its fitness and ability to withstand the strong winds headed their way. Experienced roofing maintenance and repair professionals can make the difference between a roof that is damaged by wind, and one that makes it through in once piece.

Structural Weaknesses and High Winds

Hurricanes put a lot of stress on houses, and those that are not strong enough can sustain massive amounts of damage. Studies done on homes damaged by hurricanes show there are four main parts of a home that are most responsible for failure due to high winds: 1) windows, 2) doors, 3) garage doors; and, 4) the roof. All of these areas of the home showed certain weaknesses that allowed for structural damage. Yet of all of these, weaknesses in the roofing structure was responsible for the most damage. Therefore, preventing wind damage means inspecting every one of these areas for weaknesses, and making any necessary repairs. It also means adding certain protections to keep the roof safely on the home, and in one piece.

Preventing Wind Damage Requires Understanding

When strong winds blow against houses, they put force on the roof. This force pushes downward from the top of the roof to the roofing structure, then to the walls and finally, to the foundation. Whenever there is weakness in any of these places, there is loss of structural integrity against the force of high winds. These weaknesses usually happen at gable ends, where roof trusses meet walls, and at windows and doors, all of which can fail under pressure. Trusses and gable roof ends not properly installed can separate from walls. Windows and doors can be blown open. In any of these cases, even the most perfectly covered roof can be blown right off a house because of these failures and the fact they allowed wind to enter the home, putting upward pressure on the underside of the roof.

Protecting Against Roof Damage Caused by Wind

With an understanding of how this type of roof damage occurs, homeowners can work with a good roofing contractor and determine if their house is at any particular risk. Inspecting areas known to have weaknesses and reinforcing them is the first step. This can include various methods such as reinforcing doorways, and door closures, reinforcing and wind-proofing windows and window openings, and installing storm shutters.

When it comes to the roof itself, taking proper measures to keep it in good condition is the main preventive measure. Additionally, homes in areas that experience a lot of storms can be reinforced with roof straps installed by commercial roofing services. Roof straps help keep trusses more securely attached to walls, making them more resilient against airflow that might begin separating the two, eventually causing upward pressure.

Protecting a home from roof failure in strong winds is something that homeowners in storm areas must look into. The roof is a home’s main protection from all types of damage, and if the roof goes, so does everything else. The way to keep a roof in its best condition is with experienced roofing maintenance. When assessing the integrity of a roof against high winds, working with a seasoned roofing contractor who can provide the best roofing services to ensure things are shored up before the storm season hits is the best idea!