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What To Look For After Big Storms

There are a variety of ways that weather can incur damage to your roof, even in moderate storms. When a storm has passed, the absence of leaks doesn’t guarantee the roof is undamaged. Whether the storm brought rain, wind, and/or hail, doing an assessment quickly can start the repair process before more damage incurs.

4 Things To Look For After A Storm

Look For Downed Power Lines

The most dangerous residual effect of high winds is downed power lines, so look for those first. Make this assessment from as far away from the lines as possible for safety purposes.  Report any issues to your electric utility immediately.

Check Trees For Missing Branches

Many areas of a roof may not be visible from the ground, but if you have trees that are missing branches that can’t be found, they may be up there.

Check The Attic For Leaks

Many leaks start small and grow over time. You may not see water damage unless you’re up in the attic. Look for damp insulation and inspect the areas around the chimney, the vents, and any other apparatus that penetrates the deck.

Evidence Of Roof Damage On The Ground

Take a walking inspection around the grounds of your home. Look for all types of roofing materials including shingles, fascia, and flashing that may have been blown off of the roof. Take a look around the mouths of all of your downspouts as well to see if any roofing materials came loose and were carried down by the drainage system. You may also be able to assess any separation of the shingles from the deck by inspecting the roof’s edges, which can be caused by storms with high winds. Remember that finding one broken shingle on the ground may mean that there are many more broken pieces that evidence roof damage repair that are still on the roof.

Look for Proper Insurance and Credentials When Hiring a Roofing Contractor

When Summer is here and the monsoon season approaches, Arizona residents need to be wary of the many roofing scammers that invade our communities. Finding a reputable roofing company can be hard enough without having to worry about being ripped off. Be diligent and wary of contractors that present themselves as professional roofers, but don’t have the proper insurance or credentials.

Here’s an example of a roofing scam that bilked 27 homeowners in Texas out of thousands of dollars: Texas roofing scam. In the case these individuals stole over $100,000 from unsuspecting homeowners by approaching them after storms. They took advantage of people desperate for repairs.  They even sometimes brought their baby along to convince owners they were trustworthy and eager to work. A little research by the homeowners would have shown them that this company had an F rating with the Better Business Bureau and were ignoring many complaints registered with them instead of answering and solving them.

How To Protect Yourself From Scammers

So, what are the best ways to watch out for roofing scams? First, make sure you do your homework on any contractor before hiring them and especially before giving them any kind of money for doing the work. Request that they present their contractor’s license and check their standing with the Registrar of Contractors. Ask how long they’ve been in business and verify their answer online. Check if they have a solid website that shows they’re legitimate. Look and see if they have a listing on any of the consumer sites like Yelp, HomeAdvisor and Angies’s List and check their testimonials and ratings there.

Also, make sure you check that they have the proper insurance in place. The worst thing you could do is contract with someone without proper insurance, then have them have an accident or damage your home, leaving you with extensive medical or repair bills without coverage. You can see a previous blog post we wrote on this subject here: Roofer’s Insurance.

Finally, ask for references from satisfied past customers and call them to verify that they were happy with the roofing contractor’s service, communication and timely completion of the job.

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