Living in Florida requires homeowners to deal with many different things: hot summers, intense humidity, pop-up thunderstorms, and many months of hurricane season. Hurricanes threaten the safety of your home and your family, so preparing for these storms is essential. See the best ways to protect your home by preparing your roof for hurricane season and understanding how the weather impacts it.
How Does Extreme Weather Impact Your Roof
Florida has many extremes, from relentless heat in the summer to devastating storms during hurricane season. Because of the unique and often harsh climate, your roof may face certain challenges you have to prepare for.
Rain
During the summers here in North Central Florida, heavy thunderstorms can be expected in the afternoons. While this may not seem like a big deal, even a short storm can turn into a big problem if your roof has any underlying damage.
Improper flashing, missing shingles, or an opening in your roof can lead to water damage during rainy seasons, leading to leaks that threaten your home. You’ll want a properly installed and well-maintained roof to avoid water damage from Florida’s frequent showers and storms.
Heat
Here in the Sunshine State, we receive our fair share of exposed sunlight and extreme temperatures. Heat is problematic for asphalt shingles because UV exposure actually causes the shingles to shrink, expand, and crack. When shingles expand and contract from sunlight, blistering occurs, which causes your shingles to have a bubbling texture. This can be worsened by improper ventilation and darker roof colors that absorb light and heat.
Humidity
What happens when you combine hot Florida air with a high moisture index? You get humidity. Humidity is more than an uncomfortable consequence of living in Florida. Increased humidity can wreak havoc on your roof if it’s already susceptible to damage. This could lead to leaks from condensation or mold growth on your roof.
Wind
One of the biggest risks of Florida hurricanes is the wind. Wind can loosen or blow off your shingles, exposing integral parts of your roof. If your roof wasn’t installed properly with high-quality underlayment, your roof deck can be threatened by any water that follows the wind.
Not only can you lose shingles, but wind can also stir up debris or branches around your home. If strong enough, these items can become projectiles and damage your home and your roof.
Hail
While not as common, hail can still occur in North Central Florida and threaten your roof, especially during hurricanes. When there is a hail storm, hail can range in size from as small as a penny to as large as a baseball. The larger the hail, the more likely your roof is to experience visible damage. Even metal roofs can crack or dent from hail. The best thing to do after a hail storm is to schedule a roof inspection to ensure no damage occurred.
How to Prepare Your Roof for Hurricane Season
The best time to start preparing your roof is now! The sooner you take preventive steps, the less stress you’ll have when a hurricane approaches.
Roof Inspection
The best and easiest way to prepare your roof for hurricane season is to have it inspected. You can inspect your roof yourself from the ground for any easily visible damage, but to really determine if your roof has damage, leave it to roofing professionals.
Diagnosing problems and fixing them before a storm will ensure that you won’t have compromised areas when a storm does hit. Having your roof professionally inspected can save you money and fix problems before they become an emergency during a storm.
Roof Maintenance
A well-maintained roof will give your home the best defense against these storms. McFall Residential Roofing helps you with your maintenance by providing the following during your routine inspections:
- Identify loose shingles, nails, and debris that require attention
- Detect early warnings of issues around skylights, pipes, and vents
- Provide notification of soft spots or unusual wear on individual shingles
- Recommend the best inspection times throughout the year for your roof
- Email you detailed inspection notes and recommendations
- Cover any landscaping and outdoor AC units for protection
- Remove all debris and take it to the curb for you
Our team consists of licensed and insured contractors to ensure a job well done and peace of mind.
Clean Up Around Your Home
You might not realize that how you care for your trees can impact your roof and its safety. Trimming limbs and discarding debris prevents these items from becoming projectiles during a high-wind storm. That’s why we recommend doing yard maintenance long before a storm hits. In the midst of hurricane preparation, you don’t want to worry about branch or even tree removal.
Another important part of hurricane preparation is gutter cleaning. Your gutters must be clean and clear of debris to let the heavy rains drain properly. Blocked gutters cause water to pool on the roof, which can lead to damage.
What to Do After a Storm
After any major storm, make sure you call a roofing professional to do a thorough roofing inspection, even if you had one recently. Hurricanes can often cause damage that the naked eye won’t catch, and you’ll want to get it fixed as soon as possible.
During a hurricane, your home can experience winds up to 155 mph. Damage to your roof could be from wind, rain, debris, or all three. McFall Roofing is qualified and trained to deal with repairs ranging from missing shingles, water leaks, or even discoloration!
What Supplies Do I Need for Hurricane Season?
Of course, there’s much more you’ll want to do during hurricane season than just prepare your roof. You’ll also want to be prepared yourself.
Did you know that in Florida, you can get a sales tax break on certain hurricane survival supplies (or view the full list)? This can help you stay prepared at a lower cost. Some items to consider include:
- Any portable self-powered light source, such as flashlights and lanterns
- Gas-powered grills and tools (including propane, kerosene, lamp oil, or similar fuel)
- Candles
- Tarpaulins (tarps—these go fast after a hurricane, so you’ll want to grab one before)
- Visqueen, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths, and other flexible waterproof sheeting
- Ground anchor systems
- Tie-down kits
- Bungee cords
- Ratchet straps
- Coolers (non-electrical food storage)
- Ice chests (non-electrical food storage)
- Shelf-stable food
- Self-contained first-aid kit
- Radios (self-powered or battery-powered)
Stay Safe This Hurricane Season with McFall Residential Roofing
In the end, the best preventative step for preparing your roof for hurricane season is regular maintenance. Just like a regular check-up with your doctor, having a professional roofing contractor inspect, maintain, and diagnose problems with your roof will give you the best chance of having little to no damage from hurricanes.
And with McFall, you can keep up with inspections effortlessly.
Contact McFall Residential Roofing today to schedule a roofing inspection and see how we care for your roof, no matter the weather!