The midwest sees a variety of weather, from temperature fluctuations and tornados, heavy rains and ice, and even hailstorms. This is especially true for Craig Roofing’s service area in Northeast Ohio. These events can take a serious toll on one of the most important structural components of your home: the roof. Leaving damages unattended can not only pose a threat to the integrity of your roof, but can become a serious safety hazard.
This guide reviews five of the most common ways that weather impacts roofs and the steps you can take to properly prepare for it and repair damages.
1. Heavy Rain
Heavy rains and flooding is one of the most common and destructive elements that can wreak havoc on your home. Excessive rain and the moisture that lingers behind not only affects the ground surrounding a house, but can destroy and compromise your roof.
This precipitation can cause mold and mildew growth, algae on shingles, and holey and displaced roof materials. Aside from that, rain can cause rotting wood, pools of liquid, and pesky plant growth in gutters that can lead to a blockage in the system. Excess moisture and damaged roofing can be avoided with preparation and a reliable barrier between the roof and the home.
2. Snow, Sleet & Ice
In Ohio, you quickly become familiar with snowy and icy conditions. A major problem when it comes to freezing precipitation is ice dams, which can form when snow or ice accumulates on the edges of your roof. This is not only damaging to the roof, but the subsequent icicles can also pose a safety hazard to you and your family.
If enough ice is collected in a concentrated area, this causes sagging from heavy pressure. This draws even more ice to the area and worsens the problem. Additionally, if this ice melts, it poses a huge moisture risk, similar to those associated with heavy rains and flooding. By preparing the roof for icy conditions, your home will be less prone to snow, sleet, ice, and melted runoff damage.
3. Tornados
Without extensive shingle styles to act against strong winds, displaced and damaged shingles are a high risk. Not only can the winds rip off roof materials, but it can cause other large objects to slam into the roof and create an opening, allowing flying debris to enter your home. If wind speeds reach a high enough speed, the entirety of the roof can be ripped off from the building.
Discussing modern shingle styles with built-in nail strips and additional reinforcements is a great start to making your home wind-proof. These styles secure shingles more tightly to the roof to ensure they don’t become displaced in the event of a tornado.
4. Hail
Hail storms are among the top reasons for homeowners filing insurance claims due to their highly destructive nature. Because of the intensity of force and their large size, hailstones have potential to greatly damage shingles and even create puncture holes in your roof.
Stronger and more secure shingles can lower your risk of roof damage, but because of the extensive (and expensive) damages that can occur, it’s important to be sure you work with a reliable, local roofing contractor to access hail storm damages and to ensure you and your roof are prepared for the severity of hailstones.
5. Temperature Fluctations
While the winters in Ohio are frigid, the summers can get hot. This frequent flux of extreme temperatures can cause significant damages to a roof, mainly loose, crumbling, or peeling shingles. If the problem gets severe enough, it can even cause gaping holes to form in your roof. Temperature damage is inevitable, but working with a reliable roofing contractor to access and repair damages regularly can ensure the damages do not become an extensive safety hazard.
Craig Roofing Will Handle Any Roofing Weather Issues
If you’re worried about the impact of weather on your roof such as heavy rains, ice, high winds, extreme temperatures or hail, it’s important to reach out to a professional to ensure you are taking the proper precautions to minimize damages. Book a consultation today with Craig Roofing to find a solution to set up reinforcements to protect your home!