The Atlantic Hurricane Season 2022 is well underway, but as those of us who live and work in the Mid-Atlantic region know, August and September are when things really heat up. When hurricanes make landfall they can wreak havoc. The high winds (74+ miles per hour) and sustained rainfall cause millions of dollars in damage every year.
While you can’t stop floodwaters or stop trees from falling on your roof in a tropical storm or hurricane, there are things you can do to help prevent roof damage from high winds. Let’s take a look.
1. Inspect Your Roof
You may be able to inspect your roof yourself. You can see portions from the ground. You can also ask a next-door neighbor or neighbor across the street if you can go to the second floor of their home(s) and look at your roof. You could even take a pair of binoculars for a better look. Are there missing shingles? Do shingles “lift up” on a windy day? Do you see cracks?
These are all signs that you need immediate roof repair at the least and may benefit from roof replacement. If you can’t get a good look at your roof, contact a roofing company to come to do a roof inspection.
2. Schedule Roof Replacement of an Older Roof
If the roof on your home is more than 20 years old, you might want to start scheduling estimates for roof replacement. This is because asphalt shingles loosen over the years and lose more of the granules that coat the shingles. An older roof is more prone to wind damage as a result.
But today’s asphalt shingles and roofing systems are of a higher quality than your old roof. And many new systems come with warranties of up to 50 years. You would need professional installation of high-quality asphalt shingles your roofer installs accessories such as ridge cap shingles, starter strip shingles, leak barrier products, and roof deck protection.
As a Master Elite Roofing Contractor for GAF roofing products, we offer one of the best warranties in the industry – the Golden Pledge® Limited Warranty. If your GAF roofing system is installed by a contractor such as ourselves using the approved methods, your new roof warranty will offer wind speed coverage for winds up to 130 mph. That’s a Category 3 hurricane!
Do You Need Roof Replacement? We Can Help
If your roof is more than 20 years old and you’ve noticed increasing amounts of missing shingles or granules in your gutters, it’s time to start getting estimates for a new roof. And of course, if your roof is damaged in a storm, we can offer immediate assistance. Don’t make the mistake of hiring less experienced tradesmen. Hire one of the most experienced, expert roofing companies serving Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.