In Layton, roofing contractors are often required to repair damage from sudden, powerful storms of all kinds. As a homeowner, at some point in your life you’ll likely deal with damage caused by hail, lightning, water, and wind.
It’s always a good idea to shield your house from potential storm damage, however, we can’t all be on top of things 24/7. Eventually, something is going to take you by surprise.
Hail Damage
Hailstones have a range of sizes they come in, from minuscule little pebble sized stones to stones exceeding 4 inches in diameter. In all cases, damage of some kind can occur to your home. Hail stones can fall from 8,000 to 10,000 feet at 120 mph, and the resulting damage is one of the main things our Layton roofing contractors are used to handling.
The most obvious part of the house that’s at risk during a hail storm is the roof, but damage to siding, windows, and rain gutters is also common. In fact, it’s these lower to the ground areas that you’re going to see damaged first – chips and cracks in windows, dents and punctures in the siding, loosened and dented rain gutters, all of which require immediate repair.
Damage to the roof usually consists of missing granules (the material that protects your roof’s shingles), dents, and large circular cracks. The dents make the shingles soft and weak, making it less likely to withstand the forces of later storms.
If your house has sustained damage from a hailstorm, the Layton roofing contractors at Columbia Basin Exterior can help.
Wind Damage
Wind generated by tornados is highly destructive. Straight line winds are also a common problem, some of which were recorded in Layton in 2016 with a tornado touching down in Washington Terrace at roughly the same time.
Strong winds can tear up shingles and siding. They can also carry objects that cause damage to the roof and siding of buildings. If there is pre-existing damage or weakened areas of a structure, strong winds will only do further damage far more easily. What’s more, gutters can also become loosened, damaged, or displaced, leading to water damage.
The slow but steady damage from “milder” winds will take its toll on any house over time, but the sudden exposure to intense winds from a surprise storm will often do far more intense damage in a short amount of time.
In such cases, our Layton roofing contractors can repair damage to the roof, siding, and gutters, replacing anything that’s been removed, and fixing areas that have become weakened.
Lighting Damage
Given the infrastructure of modern houses and buildings, lightning damage to humans from a thunderstorm is rare. However, that doesn’t necessarily apply to the various structures and appliances within the home. When lighting strikes a building, it often passes electricity through the various wiring, and thus damages:
- Phones
- Sound systems
- Computers
- Kitchen appliances
And basically anything plugged into an outlet.
Not only that, but lightning can create fires, both in the interior and exterior of the home. In latter cases, the roofing contractors in Layton at Columbia Basin Exteriors can help repair the damage.
How To Prevent Damage In the First Place
Prevention is always better than the cure. That’s all well and good, but you might be wondering how you’re supposed to prevent damage from a storm to begin with – isn’t that what the roofing and siding materials are already there for?
It all comes down to basic upkeep. Over time, all of these materials are going to begin wearing away. This can be due to basic consistent weather exposure or sudden storms.
Make sure all damaged or missing shingles are replaced
This requires consistent roof inspection, but it’s worth it. If you’re maintaining your roof, it will be more resistant to damage caused by sudden storms when they do arise. If you don’t have time to repair or replace shingles on your own, our Layton roofing contractors can do that for you!
Make sure all loose siding is repaired
Siding can become loosened and damaged over time due to a number of factors. Wind is one of the most obvious ones, but ice and water are others. When snow melts off of the roof, it can make its way underneath weakened siding and later re-freeze, causing an expansion and contraction effect on your siding which ultimately loosens and weakens it.
Clean your gutters
Repair any clogs, cracks, or leaks in your gutters. This will ensure that when a sudden storm does arise, water will easily and consistently flow down and away from your house and its foundation, preventing water damage and flooding.
Our Layton roofing contractors are used to taking care of messy, loose, or damaged gutters. We can ensure your gutters are ready for the next big rain or hail storm.
Make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed
Most houses are sealed with caulk, which can degrade and shrink over time. Also, cracks can open up between various walls of the house, between windows and the walls surrounding them, and in door frames. This is typically a result of land settling which causes the house to subtly shift, and can create far reaching damage.
Repairing this damage, either by yourself or through a Layton roofing and siding contractor, will prevent strong winds from causing further damage to your house.
Trim your trees regularly
This one should be obvious – the less loose branches you have dangling off your trees, the better. The damage to your property caused by loosened and torn up tree branches might just be the least of your worries, as this can easily lead to the injury or death of yourself or your loved ones.
Inspect your home’s fence posts
Make sure there aren’t any loosened fence posts around your property. This is as simple as walking up to each of them and giving them a good shake. If they’re loose, hammer them down.
The Importance of Hiring Layton Roofing Contractors for Both Prevention and Restoration
Let’s face it – life is unpredictable. If you haven’t taken the time to prepare your house for sudden storms, or haven’t hired any contractors to do that for you, then some kind of damage is likely to occur to your house. The good news is, it can be repaired!
Go around your house and record all of the damage that has occurred. Then, speak with your insurance provider to go over exactly what your insurance plan covers. We can work with your insurance adjuster to ensure that you are getting the most out of your plan.
