2015 Monsoon Storms & Your Roof

2015 has shaped up to be a busy year for monsoon storms. Monday night’s storm was one of the worst we have seen, and the weather in the upcoming fall and winter months will bring even more rain. Here are a few roof saving tips that may surprise you and will also help educate you on what to do if you have storm damage:

1. If your residential roof tiles or home’s roofing shingles have ripped off your roof, this doesn’t necessarily mean your roof will immediately start leaking. The underlayment under your tiles and shingle are the waterproofing element of your roof. While you do need to have the tiles and shingles replaced as soon as possible, as long as the underlayment stays in tact, your roof should be safe until a licensed Phoenix roofing contractor can come out to do the repairs. However, sometimes, sharp edges of the debris can pierce the underlayment, leaving your roof susceptible to further damage. Additionally, missing tiles or shingles can expose underlayment that was already damaged from dirt, debris, or age.

2. While replacing missing tiles and shingles isn’t necessarily an immediate emergency, they do need to be replaced quickly (within a couple of days). Leaving underlayment exposed to the elements and the sun’s UV rays will rapidly deteriorate your underlayment, causing leaks and prematurely aging your roof.

3. If your ceiling is dripping water, use our “Pencil Trick”! Get a bucket and some towels, and poke a pencil-sized hole in the drywall right were the water is leaking. This will prevent water from pooling on your ceiling, and it will allow the water to drain off. This could prevent a costly ceiling cave in.

4. If your roof is leaking, be sure to get fans on the wet areas immediately to begin the dry-out process.

5. If you know you have a roofing problem, don’t procrastinate! A “small leak” can quickly turn into a flood if you hold off on a repair until the next storm. You don’t want to get into a situation where your roof has leaked a time or two, you put off the repair, then a large downpour happens and roofing contractors are booking appointments several days or weeks out. When you call your roofing contractor, please keep in mind that contractors are busiest immediately following a major storm.

6. Please use a licensed, bonded and insured roofing contractor to perform any repairs or roofing maintenance! Your roof is a very important part of your home. This is not the time to skimp on quality. Quality repairs, and proper roofing maintenance is crucial to prevent major damage to your home! A licensed contractor is required by the ROC to follow rules that protect the customer. Also, check out any contractor before you invite them into your home. Here are some resources to begin your search for a contractor that is a good fit for you:

• Go to www.bbb.org/phoenix and find a contractor with an A+ BBB Rating
• If you have a tile roof, look for a contractor that is Tile Roofing Institute Certified. All TRI certified contractors have a formal education on the proper tile roofing installation and repair techniques and which materials are most compatible with your roof. http://tileroofing.org/find-contractor
• Check the Registrar of Contractors for complaints and license status of your contractor: www.azroc.gov