Early Spring Weather Can Spell Trouble: Is Your Home Prepared?
March 1, 2023 | By Mike Gonet | Filed under: Blog
As the old saying goes, spring can come in like a lion, attacking your home with the worst that Mother Nature can dish out. In many regions of the country, the weather can be simply summed up in one word: unpredictable.
It’s true that as early spring approaches, forecasts often become a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. In many areas, although rare in New England, tornadoes suddenly strike, hail storms, severe thunderstorms and later in the season hurricanes cause costly damage. It’s not uncommon for us to experience late snow and ice, even as crocuses, daffodils and tulips are starting to emerge. It’s never too early to start preparing. As the past few years have shown, tropical storms can threaten well before the official season begins.
While these monster weather events seem vastly different, they have plenty of commonalities. In all cases, it’s the roof of a home that often bears the worst of these extreme conditions and must be relied upon to protect a home from even more costly and serious damage. It is the first line of defense.
“Spring brings a trifecta of threats, depending on the region where you live. Climate change has brought instability which means it’s more important than ever to evaluate the resiliency of your home and make improvements with the potential of these damaging forces in mind,” said Renee Ramey, Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) executive director.
Metal, particularly aluminum, is the gold standard when it comes to roofing material to guard against severe weather events. That’s because when installed properly, quality aluminum metal roofs are rated to stand up to F2 tornado wind speeds (F-scale stands for the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity, with F2 equaling wind speeds of 113-157 mph), resist leaks and are much less likely to puncture, tear or crack due to flying debris or massive hailstones.
Aside from choosing better-performing and longer-lasting materials, here are four tips for how to prepare your roof to withstand extreme spring weather events:
Good installation methods matter
Keep in mind if your roof decking or sheathing isn’t structurally sound, the roofing materials or upgrades you use won’t matter. Make sure your installer proposes methods to guard against the worst of potential regional threats. That includes using quality waterproof underlayment to protect against water penetration and other safeguards and accessories (such as hurricane clips and snow guards) that will help your home literally “batten down the hatches” in the event of extreme storms, no matter what the season.
Use aerodynamics to your advantage
More and varied roof slopes can improve the aerodynamics of a structure and reduce the pressure on a roof caused by high winds. For new construction or major remodeling projects, work with your architect and engineer on ways to better control and reduce the effects of strong wind force.
Consider style practicality
When it comes to impact damage, metal vastly outperforms traditional asphalt roofs, which can crack, dislodge, and break, resulting in the need for premature replacement and increasing the potential for leaks and costly interior damage. Choosing a textured metal roof design pattern may also help disguise potential dings that can result from heavy hail and flying debris. While a quality metal roof is designed to withstand blows and remain intact and impenetrable even when subjected to the heaviest of hailstorms, minor cosmetic imperfections resulting from impacts can be better disguised with textured vs. smooth styles.
Make the connection.
Securing a roof to the walls decreases the potential of the roof flying off when it’s under intense pressure from high-speed winds and severe air pressure fluctuations. During a Nor’easter or hurricane, massive changes in air pressure caused by penetration such as a broken window can blow a roof off. Securely attaching a roof to the walls of your home helps prevent this phenomenon from occurring.
To help your home tame the beast that is extreme springtime weather, your best bet is to choose a quality aluminum metal roof and installation practices that promise resiliency, durability, and long-lasting protection for years to come. For more tips and information, visit our intro video series at classicmetalroofs.com/intro also download your free copy of the Ultimate Guide to Metal Roofing here: https://classicmetalroofs.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-metal-roofing/
