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Emergency Roofing Repair: When To Call The Roofers

Oct 5, 2015 3:35:00 PM

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October started out with hurricane Joaquin threatening the Greater Washington region. Like any other previous weather emergencies in the area, Exterior Medics was on standby for 24-hour emergency repair calls to help everyone in the neighborhood keep their homes safe from the storm. If you have ever wondered before when to call a roofing professional when emergency strikes, here's some helpful advice.

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A functional roof is a necessity to protect your home and everything inside of it. Unfortunately, even the best roofs are susceptible to damage, and can be compromised in a surprisingly short amount of time. One minute everything is fine, the next minute there is water pouring into your house. Whether it was caused by inclement weather, an animal or a tree falling on your home, you need to get your roof fixed fast if you want to avoid further damage.

Surprise Events – When Roofing Repair Is Not An Option

There are a number of things that can happen to compromise your roof, and the damage can happen in the blink of an eye. Some of these events include:

High Winds

Depending on the age and the state of your roof, high winds can do a lot of damage. If the winds are moving fast enough, like 50 mph or higher, even a brand new, perfectly constructed roof can be damaged.

Falling Trees Or Branches

Whether from wind, old age or heavy snow, trees and their branches fall over all the time. Unfortunately, sometimes when they fall, they fall on your roof. If they are heavy enough or hit at the right angle, you can wind up with a sizable hole.

Animals Or Pests

Animals may attempt to make a home out of your roof or attic, which can lead to complications with your roof. Pests such as termites can also cause substantial damage to your roof. You may not realize there is anything wrong until you notice water coming in through the roof.

Freezing And Thawing

If water makes its way under your roof or shingles, it can freeze and expand. If this happens often enough, the integrity of the roof can become seriously compromised.

Lightning

If lightening strikes your home, it can leave a substantial hole in the roof.

Fire

Fire can destroy anything in a home, including the roof. If the home or what is inside is still salvageable, you will want emergency repairs to protect the home from inclement weather.

Signs Of A Roofing Emergency

There are a number of different signs of an emergency, some obvious, some not so obvious. If you notice any of the following, contact your roofing company immediately:

  • Water leaking into the house – Calling your local roofer is an obvious step if there is a substantial amount of water coming into the home. But even if you notice a small leak, getting it fixed is important to avoid further damage.

  • Holes in the roof – If there is a noticeable hole in the roof it needs to be repaired as soon as possible.

  • Missing shingles – One missing shingle may not be an emergency, but if you are missing quite a few, the damage needs to be fixed quickly.

Dealing With Emergencies

Roofing emergencies occur when the integrity of your roof is compromised and the outside weather, usually water, starts making its way into your home. The problem may have been building for years, or it may have happened in an instant, but now you are left with a bad situation that must be remedied as soon as possible.

Whenever you notice a problem with your roof, especially during an emergency where every minute counts, the first thing to do is contact a roofing repair specialist. A roofing repair specialist will be familiar with most situations and will have a solution to deal with the problem, both short term and eventually long term.

Roofers can help you assess the scope of damages or potential weaknesses that should be addressed to protect your home. They can also determine whether or not your roof can be repaired or will need a sturdier replacement. 

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