Recovering After The Storm: Roof Repair Tips

Storms can do great harm to roofs. After the storm has completely passed, you should immediately check for roof damage. Check your roof from one end to another so you can properly diagnose the storm effects. If you miss just one spot or neglected one problem area, you may pay dearly, not just for roof repairs but also for replacement of damaged valuable furniture and home furnishings.

The Need for Temporary Storm Damage Roof Repair

Unless you are a trained carpenter or an engineer, or you know someone skilled who can get to work immediately, all you can do is try to perform minor and temporary repairs on your roof immediately after a storm. Temporary roof repair is necessary so that you can prevent further damage when another storm hits before you get your roof permanently repaired. Temporary roof repair is also necessary to ensure your home’s integrity and ensure that your family has adequate protection against the elements.

After you have assessed your roof and identified problem areas, get to work. The most pressing problem is roof holes. You need to plug up these holes immediately. Obviously, holes in the roof will mean leaks when it rains. They also mean that cold air or hot air can escape from your home. This inefficiency will cost you dearly in your electricity bills. Sure you may be able to do a little stargazing from the comfort of your living room recliner, but I think most would agree that a hole in the roof is very high priority on temporary repair lists.

How to Do Storm Damage Roof Repair

The most expedient way to repair your roof after a storm is to spread tarpaulin or water-proof canvass over your entire leaky roof. It is better to use the tarpaulin over your roof rather than under the roof and inside your house since doing the latter will lead to water collecting and leaking inside your home.

Remember to do this very carefully and with adequate assistance from capable members of your family. Be sure, too, to cover your roof up really tightly so that the wind cannot get under the tarpaulin or canvass and rip it and the rest of your roof off. After you have pulled the covering over your roof as tightly as you and your assistant(s) can manage, secure the ends with strong ropes and nails so that even a fairly strong gust of wind will not be able to undermine your temporary storm damage repair.

One other way of doing temporary storm damage roof repair is by going up there and sealing holes up with roof sealant. Use the appropriate safety paraphernalia like safety ladders and rope support so that you can prevent any accident from happening.

The Need for Permanent Storm Damage Roof Repair

After you have secured your home and fixed your storm damaged roof the best way you can, you need to call an expert carpenter or contractor to proceed with permanent storm damage control and repair to your roofs. An expert can perform the proper maintenance and thereby help you properly repair the damage the storm wrought on your roof.

Hiring a professional to repair your storm-ravaged roof may be expensive. However, in the long run, this is the most effective way of preventing other more catastrophic and more expensive damage to your home. Your initial assessment and your temporary roof repair efforts will never be enough to ensure your home’s survival on the next storm.

Watch this video about roof repair contractor

Quality Roofing & Leak Repair www.talkingphonebook.com Please help to answer the question about roof repair contractorIn roofing, what is "lath" and what is "sheathing"? My roofer says lath repair will be billed extra.
When we bought our old home, our home inspector said that we needed a new roof. It has two layers of shingles nailed into cedar wood (not cedar shingles). He said they used to use cedar in the old days, but no roofer would reuse the cedar. So the whole roof repair would be a tear off of the shingles and wood beneath.

We have a good contractor, but I'm not sure I understand his estimate and whether he understands that there is cedar that needs to be removed (a complete tear off) – although we told him that.

Here's his estimate below – what does this mean in layman's terms?

"Remove all existing roofing to lath, repair lath if needed and install 7/16" OSB sheathing, #15 roofing felt and 30 year dimensional asphalt shingles with rollvent ridgevent. Includes cleanup and disposal of debris.

It also says "Lath repair will be billed extra." That's what makes me wonder – what is "lath"? That's not the cedar that needs to be removed is it? The cedar is the sheathing?
About Author

Mark Sheppler is a handyman and home improvement writer. During storms he is rarely far away from a standby generator.