How to Protect Your Roof and Home Against Storm Damage

In the Rochester and Buffalo, NY areas, we get our share of storms. When the storms are particularly aggressive, they can cause serious damage to a roof and parts of the home.

Felgemacher Roofing & Siding would like to share two ways to protect your home during a storm. One of the strategies you can do before the storm hits, while the other can be done during the storm.

How trees damage homes during storms

Trees are beautiful to look at and can enhance the appearance of any property, but they’re also major causes of roof damage during heavy storms, particularly when they’re not regularly trimmed and maintained.

Falling tree branches can hit a roof with enough force to break the decking beneath the shingles and rupture parts of the roof truss system. Very tall trees can sever power lines, which can fall onto a roof and create a very serious safety risk.

Blowing tree debris and the branches themselves can crash through windows, crack a chimney’s masonry, and break through skylights.

Trim your trees

Here are some ways professional tree trimming can safeguard your home and roof during storms and throughout the year.

• Thins out the tree’s top canopy to reduce wind resistance. A lighter canopy lets trees sway in the wind rather than snap.
• Removes dead or weak branches that are likely to fall from the tree.
• Makes trees healthier and stronger.
• Encourages trees to grow in the proper direction, which is up and not to the side.
• Cuts the canopy and branches back from power lines.

Tree trimming once a year or every couple of years is an excellent preventative maintenance step ahead of storms and will make your trees look even more beautiful.

Protecting your roof and home during or right after a storm

If a part of your roof has been destroyed by nearby trees or anything else during a storm, you have to move fast. Most roofing companies in New York and other states offer emergency roof tarping that lays heavy, waterproof tarps over open areas of the roof to keep rain, snow, and debris out of the house.

After the storm, crews can inspect and repair the roof and any damaged areas within the home. Once all that’s finished, you should have a tree expert come out to assess the condition of the trees and determine whether the storm has damaged or weakened any branches or trunks.

New York roof repair services

Felgemacher is ready to help with all your roofing needs, including expert repairs, inspections, and roof replacements. We encourage you to take the preventive step of keeping your trees trimmed and healthy to avoid major, expensive roof and home damage when the next storm hits.

Our crew is on call 24-7 for roofing emergencies, providing secure tarping service throughout the greater Rochester, NY, and Buffalo, NY, regions.

If you’re having trouble with your roof for any reason, call the problem solvers at Felgemacher. Reach us by phone or through our contact form.