Once you have taken the time to install a new roof, you want to do everything in your power to uphold your investment. Protecting a residential or commercial roofing system is the most effective way to reduce losses caused by outside damage, namely weather conditions like wind, hail, snow, and rain.
Once a roof has been compromised, an entire building will become vulnerable to weather damage.
There are several steps that can be taken to protect a new roof from outside damage, starting with:
- Regularly inspect flashing to ensure that it remains secure.
- After a storm, confirm that fasteners are still visible on roof materials.
- Apply additional fasteners to the corners and perimeter of a roof, where it is most vulnerable.
- Watch for even a single missing shingle after a storm; once a shingle has been removed, it can cause a ripple effect to leave surrounding shingles vulnerable to harsh weather.
- Keep roof gutters in the best condition to promote proper drainage.
- Control moss growth on a roof to prevent pitting shingles.
- Don’t underestimate proper attic insulation to reduce water condensation under a roof.
- Inspect often to catch a surface issue early on.
In a high risk, hurricane-prone area of the country, further action may be necessary to protect a new roof from outside damage. Depending upon where you live, national building codes may govern the construction of a roof to prevent common hurricane damage from stripping a roof completely.
A new roof can benefit from the addition of hurricane clips. Keep in mind that hurricane clip installation can be labor intensive; in this case, hiring a professional may be worthwhile.
Hurricane clips are used to hold a roof structure to the outer walls of a home or office. In their most basic form, hurricane clips are metal straps that are nailed directly to roof trusses at the point where they cross the top plates of a structure’s exterior walls.
While many homes were once built with the additional precaution of toe-nailing rafters or trusses to the exterior walls of a structure, this extra step is insufficient when it comes to keeping a roof in place amidst high winds. When installed properly, a hurricane clip can be used to tie together the top plate, wall, and rafter on a home that may not have proper hurricane reinforcement.
