Common Roofing Problems in Florida Climates and Storms

Florida’s climate is rough on roofs. That is a fact. Between the hail storms, thunderstorms, and gale force winds, roofs take a beating. There are a variety of different types of roofing problems that can results from the humid climate and storms. Summer is especially harsh with hail, flooding, extreme heat, and hurricanes. You may end up with disastrous damage, such as structural destruction, or it may just be minor, like missing or broken roof shingles. This entry will explore both types of damage.

Damage Due to Long Term Wear

When you think of roofing problems due to storms or climate, you may envision a hurricane simply blowing the roof off a home or sending a tree through the roof. Though this does happen, much more often roofing problems come from constant wear. Typically, the damage has been in progress for some time before the homeowner notices. Problems caused by the effects of humidity, rain, and constant wear from endless storms are

• Pondering Water – Large puddles of water should not form or hang around your roof if it is designed properly and in good repair. Water might cause problems by lingering after a huge storm hits.
• Reduced Wind Uplift Resistance, Blow offs, Billowing, and Tenting – These are all issues cause by the wind. You should call a roofing contractor immediately if you are experiencing any of these issues with your roof. They need to be fixed.
• Moisture and Leaks – The most common type of climate caused damage to a roof is leaking. Roof damage repair has especially been needed after the last few storms in Orlando. Your roof’s damage resistance becomes a little bit weaker with each subsequent storm. Leaks will enter your home as time goes by and the quality of your roof begins to decay from the constant bombardment.

Damage Due to Extreme Weather

The most common extreme weather conditions that will cause immediate and noticeable damage to your roof are hailstorms, high winds, and lightning.

Balls of ice from hailstorms can be particularly damaging when they strike asphalt shingles creating weak spots. To document whether damage has occurred, it is important that you have your roof inspected after a severe hailstorm.

With high winds from hurricanes and tropical storms, you may not only lose shingles, but the underlay of your roofing can also be affected. Plus, dead trees may no longer be able to resist the wind, and often times, they will fall right on your roof causing severe problems.

Destruction from trees is also caused by lightning. Though it is rare for lightning to cause direct damage to your roof, it does hit trees, since they are often the tallest object around. When trees are hit by lightning, they can really do a number on your home.

If you have good homeowners insurance, you should be covered for any accidents caused by severe weather. In the long run, your roof will serve you better if you make a point of getting it inspected after major storms. This is typically covered by your insurance as well.