The roofing industry has changed quite a lot over the years. These days, homeowners are rarely opting for the standard, 3-tab shingles that were so popular a few decades ago. Instead, they are going with architectural shingles, and in some cases, with even more eco-friendly options like green roofing or slate. Whether you're shopping around for a new roof or are thinking of having repairs made to your current roof, it pays to be educated. Learn the basics on this blog, where we discuss roofing in the modern world. We explore various roofing materials, roofing techniques, and how to find the right roofer.
A bad storm is scary enough, but when you hear it ripping your roof off, you worry about the safety of your home too. If you can see roof damage from your attic or from the ground outside, consider calling an emergency roof repair company because these companies often respond 24-hours a day when disaster strikes your roof. Here are some suggestions on how to handle emergency roof repairs when your home needs them.
Make Calls Right Away
Call your roofer as soon as possible when your roof has severe damage. If the storm is not over and there is more rain coming, your home could get wet and suffer from water damage. While emergency roof repairs can be done any hour of the day or night, the roofer will usually wait until the storm is over before sending workers on top of the roof. It's too dangerous to be on a roof when it's slick from rain or when there's lightning. You may also need to call your insurance agent before any work is done if you plan to file a claim for the repairs.
Catch The Water If You Can
If rain starts dropping through the roof and into your attic before the roofer can make repairs, catch the water in buckets, big trash cans, or bins rather than let it land on attic insulation or drip on through the ceiling and soak the carpet or damage the drywall. Catching the rain isn't a long-term solution, but it could save your home from water damage until you can take further action.
Cover The Damaged Section With a Tarp
When the emergency roof repair company checks your roof, they might make repairs right away, or they may need to wait until they have supplies or until the threat of rain is completely over. In that case, they may put a tarp over the damaged area so rain can't get inside your house.
Have Repairs Done
The roof tarp will hold for several days or weeks, but you need to have repairs done before the tarp degrades or blows loose. Your roof might only need to have shingles replaced, but the roofer might need to replace part of the deck too if it was destroyed in places. Roof repairs are often possible after storm damage unless there was hail in the storm that caused widespread damage to the roof. That's why you need a roofer to check your roof after a bad storm so that the extent of damage is identified and the right way to fix your roof is undertaken.