We’ve all seen the news reports of roofs being ripped off homes by severe thunderstorms. And while these severe storms seem like they aren’t that common, it doesn’t take a major natural disaster to experience storm damage on your home’s roofing in Ann Arbor Michigan. In fact, the older your home’s roof is the more likely it can be damaged in what some may consider just another rainy day. There are some things that you can do to help reduce the risk of storm damage on your home however which we’ll go over below.

Avoiding Storm Damage to Your Home’s Roofing in Ann Arbor Michigan

Storm damage is one of the main causes of insurance claims every year, and it’s not just homeowners who pay for this type of loss. Commercial property owners can also face significant losses due to storm damage to their roofs. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that severe thunderstorms often exhibit wind speeds of 70-95 mph, which can rip shingles off roofs or cause entire sections of roof decking to collapse. Hail damage is another major factor in roof storm damage, with golf ball-sized hailstones creating thousands of pounds of pressure on roofing materials.

A recent Forbes article notes that hail damage is one of the most overlooked forms of storm damage, with many homes being covered by insurance for over 10 years. According to research published in 2015 by NOAA, there were nearly 500 million hailstorms reported between 2010 and 2014 throughout the US – an average of more than one billion dollars in hail damage claims per year.

How do these seemingly random events wreak havoc on roofs? Shingles are primarily held in place by roofing nails, which are manufactured to be restricted against loosening or backing out of the shingle below by wind uplift pressure. The resistance of the nail is measured in pounds of pressure, which you can find listed on the box of roofing nails at your local hardware store. The problem with this system is that it only allows the weight of the shingle above to be supported by the nails.

Hail damage requires a different approach to protecting homes from storm damage. Hailstones, often the size of a golf ball or larger, create thousands of pounds of pressure per shingle as they strike a roof. To account for this damage, the nails used to hold shingles in place must be very heavy-duty and have a higher resistance to pulling out of the substrate.

Another important factor in designing your roofs is to include architectural details that will prevent the wind from getting under your shingles. This can be accomplished by installing ridge caps, hip and valley metal flashing, dormer flashing, eave metal drip edge, or ice & water shield.

It’s also wise to approach roof storm damage reduction with preventative measures. According to an article published by Insurance Roofing, homes that are properly insured are less likely to file a claim for roof storm damage. This means it’s important to find the right insurance coverage for your home because different types of roofs come with different levels of risk when it comes to what can be covered by your insurance company.

In conclusion, storm damage could put roofs at risk. Roof storm damage during has led to a spate of insurance claims that one roofing company says is partly fueled by regular wear and tear. Roofs need to be properly maintained and regularly inspected for damage even when there is not a roof leak present. This can prevent a lot of damage to the interior of the home as well especially if problems are caught before they turn into a roof leak.

Call the roofing experts at Ann Arbor Remodeling Contractor today at (734) 619-1271 to schedule a roof inspection for your home. They will send an experienced roofer to look over your home’s roof and determine if there are any problems or potential problems that you need to address. Once complete you can opt for roof repairs or in severe cases you may need to get the roof replaced. It’s always best to start with a roof inspection to determine just what’s wrong and what you can do to help extend the lifespan of your existing roof.