Prepare Your Roof for Rain Water

Posted on Roofing Rain Damage Prevention

Is your roof ready for rain water? If not, expect to call a roofing company in Salem. It could be a wet season ahead of us.

Thanks to El Niño, 2015’s rainy season is expected to be exceptionally wet. This is especially the case in the Northern United States (Oregon included). Salem roofers have been getting called non-stop in order to help prepare properties for the rainfall. It is vital to tend to issues that could compromise the integrity of your roof before they cause further damage. Roofing problems are exponentially harder to resolve in heavy rain than they are in sunny or cloudy weather without precipitation. If you see a problem that needs immediate attention, call one of Salem’s top roofing contractors to get an estimate today at (503) 585-2338.

If you haven’t detected any crucial problems that need immediate attention, you can try to prepare your roof for rainy weather by yourself. As always, make sure you are working with a partner and make safety your top priority. You will be able to spot many of your roof’s potential issues by inspecting it safely from the ground.

  • First off, check inside the attic. Make sure there are no spots of light coming in, be sure to clear up the area around any vents you may have, and investigate for signs of mold or rot.
  • Next, you can make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear and properly connected. We recently had a customer whose downspout disconnected during heavy rainfall, which lead to much bigger and costlier problems by allowing water in their basement. Remove leaves and other debris from your gutters and downspouts to protect your roof and home from water damage.
  • Make sure no vegetation has started to grow on your roof. This is extra important for commercial roofing or flat roofing customers, as plants have an easier time growing where water can pool. Clear off moss and other plant growth from your roof at this point.
  • Check for loose tiles, shingles, or metal panels. Also, be sure your membrane isn’t ripped if you have a PVC membrane roofing system.

These things do not take much time or effort to complete, and they can help prevent roof damage and put off the need for re-roofing or roof repair. Oregon already has a rainy climate, and asphalt roofs last on average about 20 years, even when installed by some of the best Salem roofing companies. Do everything in your power to prolong the life of your roof by following these steps and by calling a roofing contractor if anything has you concerned.

The Northern Hemisphere has a greater-than-90% chance of being greatly affected by El Niño this 2015/2016 winter, and there is an 85% chance that it will continue into spring of 2016 as well. This will be a long rainy season even for Oregon. Now is the time to prepare. Keep in mind that procrastination will do you a huge disservice here, because Salem roofers will be booked if a heavy storm hits and everyone waits until the last second to call. Get your free roofing estimate today to cut the line, so to speak.

Written by
Terry Slate
Terry is the Vice President of Slate & Slate Roofing and has over 28 years of experience with both residential and commercial roofing. He specializes in metal roofing, composition roofing, and PVC membrane roofing.