Archive for the ‘Wind Damage’ Category
President Signs Utah Disaster Declaration
President Signs Utah Disaster Declaration
Relief in the form of federal aid is now available for Utah communities devastated by the December 1 wind storms. On Wednesday, February 1, President Obama signed the disaster declaration that makes Utah communities eligible to apply for emergency federal funding to help pay for the recovery efforts. Damage to public infrastructure has been estimated at more than $4 million. Private property also sustained millions of dollars in damage due to the high winds.
Winds clocked over 100 mph wreaked havoc on the area, especially in the Davis County communities of Bountiful, Centerville, Layton, Kaysville and Farmington. Homeowners in this area have been working with insurance adjusters and contractors to repair homes damaged by the storm.
Roofing crews have been working long hours replacing hundreds of storm damaged roofs, but there are many storm damaged roofs that still need to be repaired or replaced. Homeowners in this area are advised to have their roof inspected for wind damage, even if no obvious damage can be seen from the ground.
Some wind damage such as missing shingles is obvious, but other wind damage is harder to detect. A trained roof inspector or good local roofing contractor has the training and skills to identify wind damage.
If wind damage is identified on your roof, contact your homeowner’s insurance company right away. Most roof wind damage is covered by insurance and your insurance carrier will want to verify the damage by sending an adjuster to your home for a follow up inspection. Once your claim is approved, your roofing contractor will schedule the roof repairs or roof replacement if needed.
After The Wind Storm
After The Wind Storm
If you are one of the many Utah residents affected by the December wind storms that swept through the area, be careful about allowing any out of state, unlicensed roofer to inspect your roof. The Utah Department of Commerce has received reports of unscrupulous contractors trying to take advantage of local homeowners and one popular scam following any major weather event involves offering unsuspecting homeowners a “free roof inspection”.
Once the homeowner agrees to allow the contractor on their roof, the scam works in various ways. In some cases, the scam artist creates new damage to the roof or does additional damage to a moderately damaged roof and tries to pass it off as wind or storm damage. In other cases, the homeowner is told to file a claim with their homeowner’s insurance even when there is no damage in the hopes that the claim is approved anyway.
Often, the con artist will ask for cash up front or after the job has been partially completed by tearing off the old roof. In many cases, the unscrupulous contractor will insist that the homeowner sign over the insurance settlement check. Then the contractor disappears with the homeowner’s money and leaves them with an unprotected roof deck.
You can avoid all these problems by working with a reputable local contractor like Jasper Contractors. Most reputable local roofers offer free roof inspections too, but unlike these fraudsters, they will be up front with you about whether your roof needs to be repaired or replaced. Before you sign a roofing contract or let any roof inspector on your roof, be sure they have a local office and are fully licensed and insured.
Salt Lake City Wind Storm
Salt Lake City Wind Storm
Last week, a wind storm struck the Salt Lake City area bringing hurricane force winds to many areas, especially Weber and Davis counties, including Kayesville and Centerville. According to the National Weather Service, the storm brought the highest winds recorded in Utah in more than a decade with a few gusts of over 100 mph and winds of 60 mph common throughout the area.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the winds flipped over semis, downed trees and power lines, and damaged roofs in Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties. If you own a home or building in the affected area, it is very important to have your roof inspected by a reputable roofing contractor, even if there is no obvious damage.
Winds of over 60 mph can cause significant damage to roofs, especially asphalt shingle roofs. Obvious signs of damage include broken or missing shingles, but less obvious damage can include shingle lifting that breaks the sealant bond or lifts it off of the fasteners. From the ground, it may appear that the roof held together and is still in good shape but a closer inspection by an experienced roof inspector will reveal any damage.
Wind damage is usually covered by your homeowners insurance policy so if your inspector finds damage, you should notify your insurance company. When choosing a roofing contractor to inspect your roof, it’s a good idea to use a good local roofer like Jasper Contractors who’s willing to be there to meet with your insurance adjuster. Jasper Contractors and other good roofers will also usually provide assistance with the insurance claim process and help you get your roof repaired quickly.
Cool Roofing
Cool Roofing
If you need a new roof due to hail damage, wind damage or your roof is showing signs of age, consider the advantages of installing a “cool roof.” Cool is not usually the first word that springs to mind when talking about your roof, but there are roofing materials available today that can keep the temperature on your roof lower.
Lowering the temperature of your roof is important because it can help reduce your energy consumption for air conditioning. Lower energy consumption equals lower electric bills and also less fossil fuels burned at the power generating plant which means less greenhouse gasses. In addition, heat is one of the enemies of asphalt shingle roofing. Lower roof temperatures will extend the life of an asphalt shingle roof.
Your roof gets hot when exposed to the sun because roofing materials absorb energy from the sun. On a 90 degree day, temperatures on an asphalt shingle roof can rise to over 150 degrees. Using lighter colored roofing materials can help because light colors don’t absorb as much of the sun’s energy.
Most metal roofing does a much better job of reflecting the sun’s rays than standard asphalt shingles and some metal roofing has additional coatings to increase its solar reflectivity even further. If you are installing an asphalt shingle roof, using lighter colored shingles will help, but for a really cool roof try using shingle specifically made to increase their solar reflectance. These shingles have highly reflective granules that can significantly increase the reflectance of even darker colored shingles.
Ask your local roofing contractor for more information about saving energy with cool roofing materials.
Hidden Wind Damage
Hidden Wind Damage
Most wind damage to an asphalt shingle roof is pretty easy to spot, even from the ground. High winds can lift the lower edges of an asphalt shingle and bend it back or blow the shingle right off the roof. Homeowners don’t need to be told that wind damage that results in bent, torn, broken or missing shingles requires immediate repair.
However, there can be wind damage that is more difficult to detect, but is just as harmful to your roof. In some cases, depending on the angle and strength of the wind and the type of shingles, the wind will lift up the shingles, but will not bend them or tear them off the roof.
You might be thinking that since the shingles didn’t break or bend, there is no damage to the roof but in fact there is probably damage hidden under the shingles. The reason is that asphalt shingles are held in place at their upper edge by a row of nails and at the bottom edge by a line of roofing cement built into the shingle.
When asphalt shingles are installed, the roofing cement bonds the lower edge of a row of shingles to the row of shingles below it which prevents the shingle from lifting. If this bond or seal is broken by high winds, the bond will usually not re-establish itself and the shingle is free to be lifted by even moderate winds.
This moderate lifting will not immediately damage the shingle, but it does allow for rain to be driven up under the shingles causing moisture to accumulate on the roof deck. Over time, this moisture will accelerate the deterioration of the roof and the roof will fail.
If your area has experienced high winds, have a reputable local roofer inspect your roof for wind damage, both obvious and hidden.
Roof Wind Damage
Roof Wind Damage
If you have been watching the news, you have probably seen video footage of the damage caused to homes and businesses along the east coast by hurricane Irene. You may have noticed that some homes have sustained moderate to severe damage to their roofs while other homes nearby appear to have no damage at all.
There are many factors that affect the amount of damage a roof will sustain for a given amount of wind. Irene is an excellent illustration of these differences because Irene made landfall with winds between 85 and 100 miles an hour. Many asphalt shingle roofs are able to withstand these wind speeds while others suffer significant damage.
Older roofs are more susceptible to wind damage for several reasons. For one, asphalt shingles used ten to twenty years ago were often only designed to withstand wind speeds of 60 to 90 miles an hour. Modern asphalt shingles have much improved wind resistance. Minimum wind resistance for most shingles on the market today is 90 miles an hour and there are many popular shingles designed to withstand winds of up to 130 miles an hour.
Age affects the ability of a roof to withstand high wind. Older shingles have been exposed to the sun’s UV rays for years and are much more brittle than newer shingles. Older shingles will split, crack and break off more easily than newer shingles.
Installation techniques are key for wind resistant asphalt shingles. Techniques for installing asphalt shingles have improved over the years and older roofs do not have the benefit of these new wind resistant roofing techniques.
If you have any concerns about your roof’s ability to withstand high winds, talk to a reputable local roofing contractor about a roof replacement.
Jasper Contractors has offices in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
Phoenix Dust Storm
Phoenix Dust Storm
All type of roofs can suffer damage from high winds and wind driven debris, especially asphalt shingle roofs. In some cases, the roof wind damage is pretty obvious-you will find shingles in your yard that have blown off the roof or you see shingles on the roof that have been broken or bent up by the wind.
In other cases, wind and impact damage is not so obvious. The dust storm that struck the Phoenix area on July 5, 2011 is an excellent example of a wind storm that not only caused obvious roof damage, but could also have caused roof damage that is harder to detect.
The July 5, 2011 Phoenix dust storm was a monster compared to a typical Arizona dust storm. While a typical Arizona dust storm has winds of 30 to 40 miles an hour and creates a dust cloud about 1,000 feet high, the July 5 dust storm contained winds of over 60 miles per hour and created a dust cloud 100 miles wide and 10,000 feet high.
This powerful dust storm knocked over semi trucks, downed trees and power lines, and ripped a five foot section of roof off of a local high school. It left a thick coating of dust on the entire Phoenix area.
Such powerful dust storms can damage asphalt shingle roofs not only by tearing off shingles, but also by knocking off some of the ceramic granules that protect the roof from the sun’s UV rays especially if the roof has been weakened by exposure to Arizona’s weather for many years. It can also drive dust, dirt and grit under shingles and into every crack and defect in the roof where it will draw and hold moisture up under the shingles, hastening the deterioration of the roof.
Phoenix homeowners who have roof damage or even suspect that they might have roof damage should have the roof inspected by a reputable local roofing contractor like Jasper Contractors.
Jasper Contractors has offices in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
Wind Resistant New Roofing
Wind Resistant New Roofing
If you are building a new home or replacing a damaged roof on an existing home, there are some design considerations and construction techniques that can make your roof more resistant to damage from high winds due to hurricanes or even tornados. Your roof is your first line of protection against the elements. It not only protects your home and belongings, but also provides shelter for you and your family.
We have learned from experience that if your roof is able to withstand the onslaught from high winds, the rest of the house will remain intact and continue to protect the contents and occupants of the home. However, if the roof is destroyed, the rest of the house will usually be destroyed too.
Hip roofs (a roof with 4 sloping sides) have proven more wind resistant than gable roofs (a two sided A shaped roof). Uplift is one of the main forces that tears off roofs and gable roofs are much more susceptible to uplift. If you go with a gable roof anyway, ask the builder about installing extra bracing to strengthen the gable walls.
Very steep or very flat roofs impose greater uplift loads than a moderately sloped roof. Similarly, limit the size of overhangs. Large overhangs contribute to large uplift forces that can tear the roof off.
The roof rafters or trusses should be attached to the wall with hurricane straps or hurricane clips. These will hold the roof in place much better than traditional toenailing.
When choosing a roof covering, look for materials with high wind ratings. Many metal and tile roofing materials are rated up to 150 mph and there are a few high end asphalt shingles with similar wind ratings. Make sure the roof covering is installed by a reputable local roofing contractor. Proper installation is every bit as important as the quality of the materials.
Jasper Contractors has offices in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
Protecting Your Roof From Hurricane Damage
Protecting Your Roof From Hurricane Damage
With the hurricane season beginning to heat up, now is a great time to think about protecting your roof from hurricane damage. If you live in an area affected by hurricanes such as the Gulf Coast or East Coast, you probably know how much damage a hurricane can cause.
Hurricanes can pack winds of over 150 miles an hour and can do significant damage to your roof, especially if you have an asphalt shingle roof. High winds can damage or completely tear off shingles and allow water intrusion under the shingles.
Older homes are more susceptible to roof damage from a hurricane. In recent years, asphalt shingle roofs have improved in terms of resistance to hurricane damage. Tougher building codes, improvements in asphalt shingle quality and improved installation techniques have all contributed to stronger asphalt shingle roofs.
However, some roofers are still using outdated installation techniques which will leave your roof exposed to hurricane damage. This is one reason why it is important to have your roof installed by a reputable local roofing contractor.
Whether you have an older roof or a recently installed roof, it will better withstand a hurricane if it is well maintained. Have your roof inspected regularly by good local roofing contractor and follow up by having any defects such as loose or missing shingles repaired
Ask the roofing contractor for a recommendation on specific hurricane improvements to your roof. Cracked, broken or missing shingles should be replaced and any areas that might allow water intrusion should be sealed. The shingles should be nailed in place, not stapled, and the nails should be installed using a wind resistant nail pattern. Asphalt shingles can also be made more wind resistant by cementing the edges of the shingles with roofing cement.
Jasper Contractors has offices in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.
