Columbus, Ohio, gets an average of 28 inches of snow annually. Unfortunately, this means there are multiple opportunities for roof damage at your home after a significant storm. The best thing you can do after a storm strikes the area is to safely evaluate the exterior of your home to see if there is any notable damage that you need to call us about. The following are some tips for how to spot winter storm damage on your roof. Remember, inspect your roof safely and don’t climb on top of it. These tips keep you secure by focusing your inspection from the ground and indoors so you can leave the more dangerous in-depth roof inspection to a professional, licensed and insured company.
Check for Downed Branches
One of the easiest ways to spot potential damage on your roof is to see if any branches fell onto it. This is particularly important to do if you have one or more trees on or near your property and had branches hanging over your roof before the storm. If any branches fell onto your roof, especially heavy ones, there’s a good chance the structure suffered some damage.
Make sure to also check your roof, if possible, if you see heavy branches lying in your yard close to your home. The branches could have fallen, hit your roof, and then bounced into your yard, causing damage in the process.
Evaluate Your Roof From Street Level
Some homeowners don’t fully know what the roof of their property looks like. This is because many people are so used to looking at their home at eye level. For instance, when you’re driving or walking up to your place, you’re likely looking at the front of it and the front yard rather than looking up at the roof. The same applies to when you’re in the backyard; you’re likely just looking at the back of your home.
Make it a habit to frequently evaluate your roof from street level. This can allow you to easily notice if anything changes, such as if there’s any discoloration or the roof seems to be sagging in certain spots. It’s much better to notice it sooner rather than later before any severe damage occurs.
Take Pictures Before the Storm and After
If you can safely see your roof from your window (without hanging out of it), it’s a good idea to take pictures prior to the storm. Should your roof suffer damage during the storm, the pictures can serve as proof to your insurance company that your roof was fine before.
Take more pictures of your roof after the storm, particularly in the daylight. It will also make it easier for you to evaluate the condition of your roof, considering you can zoom in and get a closer look if you take the photos with your phone.
Look for Ice Dams
Water, both from melting snow and rain, should be able to flow freely off your roof. If an ice dam gets in the way, the water has nowhere to go but underneath your roofing material. If you have an ice dam, call us for assistance for safely removing it.
Look for Internal Leaks and Damage
Damage from a winter storm will typically be fairly obvious on the interior of your home. For example, you may notice a small hole in your attic ceiling or water dripping, even if you can’t see from where. Check right after the storm and then again a few hours later to ensure there’s no damage. If water is dripping from any of your lights or anywhere near them, shut the power off from your breaker box to help prevent a fire.
Check for Damaged Gutters
Gutters serve the important purpose of keeping water off your roof and away from your home’s foundation. If they’re damaged during a winter storm, they may be unable to do their job effectively. Check them after the storm to make sure they’re not bent or damaged in any other way. If they are, getting them fixed as soon as possible is ideal.
Evaluate for Sagging
A sagging ceiling inside your home is a surefire sign of damage. Don’t poke at it, considering it could be a water bubble. Call us immediately if you see the ceiling is sagging in one or more places.
You may be tempted to rush underneath the sagging bubble of your ceiling to try and grab as many of your personal belongings as possible, but it’s not a safe option. The bubble can burst at any moment, sending water and debris crashing down on top of you and potentially severely injuring you. It’s not worth the risk.
Leave everything where it is, and don’t go underneath the bubble. We’ll evaluate the situation upon arrival.
Walk Around Your Yard for Debris
Take a walk around the yard of your home after a winter storm has left the area. Look for any signs that you may have roof damage, such as one or more shingles lying in the snow. The more debris in your yard, the more damage you’ll likely have.
Should I Call a Roofer for an Inspection?
One of the biggest problems many homeowners have is that they can’t always easily tell if there’s damage that requires roof repair. It all depends on how much of your roof you can see from street level or while looking out your windows.
If there are obvious signs of damage, such as that you see a hole in your roof or you notice missing shingles, then it’s vital for you to give us a call as soon as possible before the damage worsens. If you suspect there’s damage, such as from a heavy branch that fell on your roof, but you can’t get a view of the roof’s condition underneath it, then it’s ideal that you call us anyway.
It may be possible that your roof experienced no damage during the winter storm. If you don’t see any signs and suspect there’s no damage, you don’t necessarily need to call. However, if you’d rather take the better-safe-than-sorry approach, you may want to give us a call so we can do an inspection anyway.
Can I Stay in My Home if My Roof Has Been Damaged?
If your roof has suffered damage, you may need to leave your house temporarily after the winter storm. If it seems like minor damage, such as shingles are missing but there are no current leaks in your home, then you can likely stay in your home in the meantime until the damage is repaired. However, if the damage is severe, such as that there’s a giant hole in your roof or your ceiling is severely sagging, it’s in your best interest for you to temporarily relocate until we can diagnose the issue and start an emergency roof repair. Yes, it will be inconvenient, but it’s the safest option, especially if there could potentially be water damage that may cause a fire.
Don’t let roof damage go undetected after a winter storm. We’re here to help whether you need emergency roof repairs, a new roof installation, a standard roof repair, or new siding or gutters. Contact The Roof Detective for more information about how we can assist you in Columbus, Ohio with all your commercial and residential roofing services needs.
