Hurricane season is here and the season will run all the way through November 30th, 2015. A major hurricane, defined as a category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale has not hit the US since 2005 (Hurricane Wilma in October of 2005), but we still haven’t been a stranger to a devastating storm. In 2012 for example, Hurricane Sandy was responsible for over 150 deaths and caused over $50 billion in damage. Technically speaking, Sandy was an “extra-tropical cyclone” when it hit. It doesn’t take a major hurricane to cause damage to a home, and when your roof isn’t in great shape the integrity of your home can be compromised by as little as outer bands from a tropical storm or even a heavy thunderstorm.

For many, the roof is an afterthought and tends to receive the least amount of TLC when preparing your home for hurricane season. Only when we notice stains on the ceiling do we wonder if there is a leak, but the roofs integrity could already be deteriorating before even seeing the first water spot on the ceiling. Below you will find 5 ways to prepare your roof for hurricane season.

roof-inspection

Get a roof inspection

The first tip to prepare your roof for hurricane season is to get a roof inspection by a qualified roofing contractor. While there is a few ways to manually inspect your roof yourself that we will discuss later, a qualified roofing contractor has the knowledge and experience to find any weak areas on the roof, and give you a detailed report including life expectancy and estimates for repairs. A detailed roof inspection should include the full report, pictures of your home, and and an estimate for any repairs. Feel free to discuss the inspection report with your roofing contractor