As spring is just around the corner, there is a lot to look forward to: warm weather, beach days, grilling and whatever else you may associate with spring and summer in Florida. One thing that we may not be looking forward to, but which is nonetheless just around the corner, is hurricane season. As the last couple of weeks have shown, even outside of hurricane season spring and summer in Florida are the seasons of frequent and often heavy storms that bring with them strong winds, rain, and even stronger wind gusts. All of this brings with it strain and pressure on your roof, which is why now is the perfect time to make sure that your roof is ready for hurricane season.
Small Steps
Although storm preparedness is not a particularly fun topic, it bears thinking about now as small steps in the present can ensure that you save yourself headache and hassle in the future. There are two steps you want to take first which you can do yourself.
The first is to make sure that you have proper and up to date insurance coverage for your home or property. Hurricane season has the potential to be incredibly destructive, and although you may not need it, you want to make sure that you have proper coverage to get your home back to a pre-storm condition and avoid significant out of pocket costs. Make sure that you stay on top of any insurance renewal or cancellation notices and make on time payments to prevent lapse of coverage. Also, be sure to check out what your hurricane deductible amounts to. If that number is too high, which it often is as the hurricane deductible is separate from your other perils deductible, you may want to think about changing it or at least keeping in mind what sort of costs you could be facing.
The second is to take a quick look at your roof and ceilings. You can do this from the ground, so there is no need for climbing or ladders. Walk around your house paying particular attention to the ceilings to make sure there are no leaks. Even small water damage spots indicate that repairs need to be made to ensure roof integrity in the future. Outside, walk around the perimeter of your house, paying particular attention to the roof. Look for missing or torn shingles, uplifted areas, debris on the roof, and any trees with branches that may be brushing the roof or are near enough that they could pose a hazard if thrown by the wind. Trees growing near the roof should be trimmed as any rubbing during wind can cause damage to the roof surface and any heavy branches thrown by wind gusts can be a potential danger.
Consult a Professional
If your cursory inspection reveals any problems, or even if it does not–especially if your roof is getting old–, you should next consult a professional. Contact a contractor to do an inspection and get a free estimate for any recommended repairs, big or small. Small maintenance jobs can be done quickly, easily, and are usually fairly cheap. They may involve things like tree trimming, cleaning gutters, removing accumulated small debris from the roof, or adding hurricane straps. If your roof needs a larger repair (for anything that can result in a leak) or full replacement (if it is past its life expectancy), this is also the best time to do it. Once we get closer to hurricane season and the beginning of summer, roofing companies will get busier as their schedules fill up. This is a great time to get ahead of the crowd and avoid having to wait months for a contractor’s schedule to open up, all the while stressing about being unprepared for a coming storm.
If you want to make sure that you and your roof are prepared for the coming storm season, contact us for an inspection. Just give us a call and we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!
