Are you tired of dealing with wind damage to your roof every time a storm rolls in? It may be wise to have a roofer come to make some changes to your roof. By having this work done preemptively, you can help prevent damage and the need for sudden repairs after the next storm. Here are a few of the key wind-resistance upgrades your roofer may recommend.
Hurricane Straps
They are called hurricane straps because they are most often used on homes in hurricane areas. But even if you don't live in a hurricane zone, these straps can be helpful for protecting your home's roof against wind damage. Basically, hurricane straps anchor your roof to the frame of your house. They hold the roof down. Your home's roof may currently be connected only with nails, which are weak and can bend during high winds. Adding hurricane straps adds a lot more security. Usually, this is work that can be done on an existing roof. Or, if you need a new roof anyway, your roofer can easily use hurricane straps when making the new attachments.
Wind-Resistant Shingles
Some shingles offer greater wind resistance than others. If you're getting a new roof, then you'd be wise to choose shingles with a higher wind-resistance rating. Choosing shingles approved for a hurricane zone when you're not in a hurricane zone may seem like overkill, but it does give you extra peace of mind. If you do not need a new roof, then you may want your roofer to just replace some of the shingles in the most wind-exposed areas with wind-resistant shingles. For example, if you are always losing shingles in the same place after every storm, upgrading those areas to wind-resistant shingles makes sense.
Steel Gutters
People often forget that gutters are a part of the roof — and they're a part frequently damaged during a storm. Aluminum and vinyl gutters tend to be pretty lightweight, which means they often blow off of a home during a storm. Steel gutters are much heavier and therefore less likely to blow away. Some companies will even make seamless steel gutters on-site. These are a great choice since having few or no seams gives the wind fewer places to "grab" the gutters.
Wind and roofs do not get along well. If you have a roofer make some of the above improvements to your roof, you won't have to worry as much about wind damage after storms.
For more information, contact a residential roofer near you.
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