How to protect your roof in bad weather

A changing global climate has resulted in a recent rise in extreme weather conditions, with homeowners and businesses alike suffering in recent storms across the UK.

Extreme wind and rainfall have caused damage to residential and commercial properties alike. Storm Eunice recently saw the exterior of the O2 Arena ripped apart and events cancelled.

Roofs and chimneys are the most vulnerable part of any property during storm conditions, as they bear the full brunt of mother nature.

So whether you want to protect your home or business property, here are the steps you can take to keep your roof safe when storms return.

Inspect it regularly

If you’re able to stand across the street from your house or in your garden and see to the crest of the roof, this will enable you to regularly check the conditions of the tiles and flashing.

Using binoculars will help you get a closer look and may help you spot any cracks that appear before they become serious issues.

Of course, if you have the equipment and the bravery required, you could climb a ladder and check out the roof up close. However, it may be better to hire a professional roofer to do this.

Use quality materials

Whether you’re making repairs yourself or calling in a trade professional, it’s always worth spending a bit more and investing in top quality products.

That way, you can be more confident that the roof will withstand tougher conditions and that you won’t have to fork out again in the future.

Slate tiles offer the best durability, while many lead-free flashing alternatives can keep up with traditional materials.

Clean gutters

Especially important after autumn leaf fall, clearing your gutters will stop your systems from becoming clogged and becoming damaged.

Freezing conditions in winter can put your gutters under more strain and having leaf litter blocking water can exacerbate the issue.

Clearing them out ensures that water can flow freely through the system and prevents big blocks of ice from forming.

Check for large trees in the vicinity

If you or a neighbour has any trees that are level with your roofline, it may well be worth thinking about shortening them.

Trees typically grow with strength in the direction of your area’s prevailing wind, but this is upset in storms, with winds typically blowing from multiple directions.

Use professionals for larger jobs

Again, getting the pros in to look at your roofing issues will cost you a bit more than doing it yourself. However, utilising their knowledge is much more likely to result in longer-lasting solutions.

If the worst comes, you will also be able to fall back on your contractor’s guarantee of service to fix any issues in a set period of time.