The summer months are filled with the best weather, according to popular wisdom. However, as any emergency roof repair service in Philadelphia could tell you, the months of June, July, and August also see some of the worst rain and wind storms the area ever experiences. With severe weather comes the potential for serious damage to your roof. That’s why it’s crucial for homeowners to employ protective measures so that your roof will make it through the summer without needing to be replaced.

The best method to protect your roof from summer storms can be broken down into three different steps:

Schedule an Inspection

Everyone who owns their own home should be scheduling regular inspections of their roof to maintain it properly. However, it’s vital to assess the state of your roof during the summertime, mainly because it allows you to look for cracks, water damage, and sun damage.

Any of these kinds of damage can lead to severe issues when it storms. Water damage can occur if your roof has cracks or damaged shingles because these offer openings for rain to seep in and affect the supporting structure of your roof. If there’s existing water damage, then your roof will be even more susceptible to debris the wind will batter your home with.

Service Your Gutters

It may seem like an insignificant aspect of your roof, but your gutters are actually one of the best protective measures your home has. When it rains, gutters help divert water from areas of the roof that are at risk for pooling and water damage. They also help minimize the amount of weight your roof needs to bear since less water on your roof means there’s less chance of any section of your roof collapsing.

With such an important role to play, it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that cleaning your gutters can help protect your roof from summer storms. Clogged gutters do a poor job of diverting water away from your home, which increases the stress that your roof is under in a storm. Plus, when your gutters are clogged, they become susceptible to overflow and collapse, which not only removes a protective feature of your home but can leave severe damage where the drainage system gets torn away.

Manage Your Landscaping

Landscaping is a great way to add character to your home, but it can also be a severe liability in a storm. The good news is that most healthy trees and limbs do an excellent job of staying put when wind speeds start to rise, which means you can keep a lot of your landscaping features. However, to protect your roof from summer storms, you should trim any branches that hang over your roof, as well as get rid of any dead trees, bushes, or limbs in the vicinity of your home. If a storm gets bad enough, these bushes and trees can quickly become projectiles that your roof can suffer severe damage from.

If you want to find out more about protecting your roof from summer storms or are interested in replacing the metal roofing on your Philadelphia residence, give the C.R. Thompson team a call today!