Your roof may not be at the top of your mind when you consider the range of threats to your household. But the truth is that without your roof, everything in your home is exposed, and therefore, is likely to be damaged. You may not expect a violent thunderstorm to blow a mighty oak tree onto your home, but such things happen during unpredictable periods of severe weather. Lost shingles may not seem like a dramatic cause for action, but in the middle of a downpour, a few missing shingles can compromise your roof and lead to long-term structural damage. Even a house fire can burn a hole through your roof that can warrant immediate attention to protect your property from further damage. You can only be so prepared for emergency roof damage, since much of the work comes after the damage is done.
What do you do when a roofing emergency strikes? It’s a good idea to think about the steps you should take before the need arises. After all, in the wake of violent weather or other disasters, you may not have the time or presence of mind to formulate a viable plan of response to protect your home and property. Keep reading to learn what you should do if you find yourself the victim of unexpected roof damage that requires emergency repair.
What Constitutes Emergency Roof Repair?
An emergency roof repair in Sandy Springs is necessary when significant damage to your roofing system occurs. That doesn’t necessarily have to escalate to damage that happens during tornadoes and hurricanes, though emergency roof repair is common in the aftermath of such weather events. Even a typical thunderstorm can feature straight-line winds with the power to peel back shingles or blow limbs onto your roof surface. With the shingles compromised, water will find its way in, and that means trouble. Emergency roof repair is necessary any time that your roof is compromised, and water can seep in without abatement.
Do What You Can, When You Can
It may not be feasible to attempt to stop leakage when it initially occurs. You never want to put yourself in harm’s way by climbing on the roof in the middle of a thunderstorm to stop the damaged portion from leaking. However, it is important that you find a way to cover the area of damaged roof as soon as you can once the danger has passed. That may mean placing a tarp over a hole punched in the roof by a falling limb or replacing a few missing shingles. While you’ll want to call a local licensed roofing service to make a permanent fix, it’s important that you limit the damage to your home by keeping water out of it in the meantime.
Contact Your Insurance Company
It’s also important that you get in touch with your insurance company as soon as the danger has passed so they can send an adjuster to review the damage and expedite your claim. Your insurance company can help you understand what information may be necessary to make a claim to get help in paying for the damage.
Call a Roofing Pro
After you have stopped the leak, find a roofing company that makes emergency roofing repairs and ask them to come give you an estimate. Read online reviews and get recommendations if you can do that on a short timeline, but it’s important that a roofing repair company gets to work on your project as soon as the danger has passed. That said, be picky. There are unlicensed and uninsured roofing companies that may attempt to win your business in a pinch. Do everything you can to protect your property but avoid any company that pressures you to hire them.
If you’ve suffered roof damage as a result of severe weather or fire, make sure you follow these steps to restore your home and protect your property. To learn more about how you should handle an emergency roof repair, contact Superior Roofing Company of Georgia.