Before the Storm … Check Your Roof
The 2016 Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to November 30, and watch out, it has the potential to be a big one.
The Weather Research Center in Houston predicts a 60% chance that Texas will be impacted by a hurricane this season and 70% chance that a named storm will make landfall along the west coast of Florida. Overall, predictions are for 7 to 10 named tropical cyclones forming in the Atlantic this hurricane season with 4 of them intensifying into hurricanes.
What’s a homeowner to do?
Check your roof! And, if you live in an area that had severe storm damage last year, make sure to have a professional roofer inspect your roof to assure that the roof is ready for another hurricane season.
It helps to understand that the roof is a “system” in your home. There are layers that must be properly installed to help protect your house and valuables.
Here’s an explanation from the professionals at DaVinci Roofscapes on what a first-class installation would look like for a roof:
1. Start with clean a 1/2-inch plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) deck fastened properly to the rafters.
2. At the eaves and rakes, 3-foot wide strips of self-adhering bitumen membrane would be affixed to protect against ice dams and wind-blown rain.
3. A layer of 30-pound builder’s felt (or the equivalent) would be installed next, covering the entire roof. It’s held in place with nailing caps and has 6-inch overlaps at the seams.
4. Metal drip edges on the rakes and eaves keep water off the sheathing edges and the sun’s rays off the underlayment.
5. In the valleys, 20-inch wide flashing made of a durable metal (like copper) sits atop a layer of bitumen membrane.
6. Finally, the roofing is installed in overlapping courses with rustproof stainless-steel nails.
For more details on what it takes to create a reliable roof using composite slate or synthetic shake shingles, see Roofing 101: Up on the Roof.