Caring for Your Roof Before and After Storms
Do you remember last February? That was when we got hit by Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, three of the most powerful storms in recent years — all within little more than a week. Hopefully, we won’t have anything as bad this year, but we’re bound to have storms before the winter’s out.
Your roof plays a vital role in defending you against extreme weather, but it can suffer casualties in the process. This means it’s vital to pay attention to your roof — both before and after a storm.
Caring for Your Roof Before a Storm
It’s vital that your roof is in good shape before a storm hits. If it’s damaged in any way, it won’t be able to do its job of protecting you as well as it needs to. Ideally, you should prepare your roof before the storm season hits — early autumn, if possible. Don’t worry if you haven’t done this, though. Better late than never.
One essential is to clean out your guttering. Gutters and downpipes can get clogged up with leaves, twigs and other debris, and this means that water won’t run off the roof into the drain. Either it stays on the roof, putting extra pressure on the roofing materials, or it will pool on the ground, threatening your home’s foundations.
As long as you’re well-equipped and reasonably experienced at working on a ladder, you should be able to do this yourself with a brush. At the same time, you can check the roof for any cracked, slipped or missing tiles, which will let water into the roof space. Alternatively, you can do this through binoculars from ground level.
Caring for Your Roof After a Storm
Even a roof in good condition can be hit by a storm, so you need to look for damage as soon as the storm has died down. Again, this can be done through binoculars, allowing you to check the tiles, as well as make sure the guttering hasn’t cracked from the buffeting it’s taken. Make sure you also check the flashing around the chimney stack or any other structure that pierces the roof. Flashing seals the gap, so the rain can get in if it’s come away.
You can also check for holes in the roof from the inside. To do this, go up into the roof space during the day, with all lights turned off, and look up. If you can see pinpricks of light, you have a problem.
It’s vital to fix any holes in your roof as soon as possible. If damp gets into the roof space, it can rot timbers and cause mould or mildew to grow on the walls. However, this should be left to professionals — DIYers should never attempt to get up onto the roof. Give us a call to find out how we can help you keep your roof safe both before and after storms — so it can carry on protecting you.
