Introduction:
Hurricane Epsilon, formed on the 19th of October, was the 26th named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season. As stated on the homepage of the Center for Disaster Philosophy, hurricanes came much more frequently this year compared to previous ones. Out of the twenty-seven tropical storms, ten became hurricanes. This is more than twice the number of hurricanes compared to the historical average from 1981 to 2010. The surge of hurricanes has led to an increase in demand for emergency roof repair services. In this article, we highlight the cheapest and best ways to have your roof repaired in an emergency.
What constitutes a roofing emergency?
Before understanding ways to respond to worry, it is best to figure out what constitutes a worrisome situation in the first place. The trademark roof damage occurs when a section of shingles or metal panels in the roof gets swept away by strong winds. In most cases, the underlying material gets damaged which is a cause of more concern. Another way in which your roof can be damaged is if a heavy object such as the limb of a tree crashes either through the roof into the house or, in less severe cases, on the roof and damages the material beneath. In another case, lightning directly hits your roof and burns a hole in it.
Quick fix:
If a hurricane leaves a hole in your roof and water is gushing into your house in the rainy season, it might be best to find temporary but rapid solutions to the problem. This is because it is oftentimes difficult to get professional roof repair services to cater to you during the busy hurricane season. The most commonplace temporary roof repair is to place a tarp to cover the hole created by the hurricane. The tarp needs to be big enough to cover the entire area and strong enough to block rain droplets falling continuously for days. Alongside, try to fit as many missing or loose shingles back into the roof as possible. Slide them into the bottom edge of the above layer and secure them in place with galvanized nails. Shingles that are curling can be straightened out by softening them using a heat gun and they can be glued using roofing cement. If you do not want a tarp hanging in the middle of your roof, temporary shingles can also be made of a sheet of metal. The temporary metal shingles will be fitted in a similar way to how the loose shingles would fit. Making temporary roof repairs while you are waiting for professional help has the potential to save you thousands of dollars by reducing water damage, mold, and mildew.
Cost:
Emergency repairs to fix major damage on roofs cost a lot. You can expect the cost to be anywhere from $1500 to $3000.
Look for experience:
In the cases where you have the money to ask for help and are able to get in touch with an emergency roof repair service, there are certain factors to consider in order to choose the right service. Usually, the longer the company has stayed in the market, the higher the chance of them providing quality service. This is true because of various reasons. Firstly, quality service is necessary to maintain your customer base and in turn your business. Secondly, an established company is less likely to get overwhelmed by the emergency task in case the situation becomes more severe. Thirdly, experience gives repairers a better idea of the challenges they face in the emergency enabling them to counter those challenges swiftly and deliver at a faster pace. Remember time is key because each additional moment leads to a higher risk of further damage or, in more severe cases, of the roof collapsing.
Licensing and Referrals:
The level of experience is not the only factor you should take into consideration. Certain companies have received licenses or certifications to perform roof repair services in the case of an emergency. As it takes a certain amount of professionalism and quality to obtain those licenses, companies that have those should be preferred to fix your roof. Another way of finding good quality service is to ask your friends and neighbors in the area. Residents of Gaithersburg frequently make use of roof repair services and there is a good chance you will be able to get valuable feedback.
Are they insured?
Another factor to consider before hiring someone to fix your roof in an emergency is whether the companies’ services are insured. Here in America, we are fortunate to have a web of insurance services that make sure we do not pay the cost in the case that someone messes up. If, for example, the repairs done by the repair services do not prove to be long-lasting, you can have insurance companies cover up the cost of further damage in the case that the repair companies’ services are insured.
Conclusion:
We hope reading this helped you understand what to do the next time your roof is damaged suddenly. We also hope that you are never in a situation where you have to apply this understanding. Stay safe!
