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Florida’s warm humid climate, year-round sunshine and frequent storm activity puts a limit on the lifetime of roofing systems, for both residences and businesses. St. Petersburg, Florida, is a high-risk area for tornadoes and sees plenty of hail every year. It’s no wonder people are often searching for asphalt roof repairs in Tampa, St Pete and other local communities.
Consider this: Recently, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Largo to Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg. The storms formed a nearly stationary line on the local radar. Hazards included 60 mile-per-hour wind gusts, quarter-sized hail that damaged vehicles, roofs, siding and trees. Locations impacted included St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Gulfport, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Kenneth City and South Pasadena.
If your home or business has been damaged by a weather incident, here’s what to look for in asphalt roof repairs:
Shingle Roof Repair for Hail Damage
Hailstone storms are the leading cause of shingle roof leaks. Hailstones can range in size from a tiny speck to golf-ball size, or even baseball size. However, it’s not the size but the speed at which it hits your roof that does damage. Hailstones fall from the sky at anywhere from 20 to 100 mph, according to National Severe Storms Laboratory. When a hailstone collides with your home it can cause a variety of damages. Hail damage can be detected by examining your roof from up close as well as from your lawn. Signs of hail damage can include:
CLASSIC ROOFING – FAMILY OWNED AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS
- Dents in gutters, flashing, vents or plumbing boots.
- Hail impact indents on shingles, indicated by loss of granules and discoloration.
- Cracked or dented shingles.
- Granules in the gutters and downspouts.
Granules help protect your shingles from the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays. Without them, your roof shingles days are numbered. Hail can also crack shingles or break them entirely. If you see this kind of damage, it’s important to call on a professional roofer.
Shingle Roof Repair for Wind Damage
High winds can lift and curl asphalt shingles, leaving the roof deck vulnerable to moisture penetrations, water damage and hazardous mold growth. Wind gusts as low as 40 miles per hour, especially in humid weather, can tear shingles from the roof deck and create leaks that are difficult to trace. This is why residential homeowners and commercial building owners should enlist the help of a roofing contractor to conduct inspections and assess the need for asphalt roof repairs in Tampa and St. Petersburg following a high wind event.
Shingle Roof Repair for Hurricane Damage
While Florida has experienced a quiet hurricane season so far in 2022, from 2000 to the present, the state has experienced several devastating hurricanes, as well as 79 tropical cyclones that have affected the state. Collectively, cyclones in Florida during the time period resulted in $123 billion in damage and 339 deaths. During the 2004 season, more than one out of every five homes in the state received damages.
In October of 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, making it the strongest hurricane on record to strike the state, and the first category 5 hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Statewide economic damage was estimated at $18.4 billion.
For an extreme weather event to qualify as a hurricane, wind speeds must reach a minimum of 74 miles per hour, and a category 5 can exceed 150 miles per hour. Given that winds of 40 miles per hour routinely tear shingles, hurricane damage to asphalt roofs is to be expected in Florida.
Protecting commercial buildings and homes following a hurricane calls for emergency roof repairs to secure leaks and promptly replace shingles. Once the roof deck is stabilized and can prevent water damage, an experienced roofing company can guide you through the most cost-effective way to repair the roof shingle wind damage.
Shingle Roof Repair for Tornado Damage
Tornado roof damage to asphalt shingle systems can be very different from the effects of any other type of storm. If a tornado makes a direct hit on a residence or a commercial building, total building restoration or rebuild may be needed.
A near miss usually batters homes and commercial buildings with flying objects, requiring debris restoration to the damaged asphalt shingle roof, as well as windows and siding. Tornadoes generate a vacuum force that pulls at the very fabric of an asphalt roof and its structural supports.
Missing Shingles?
If your home or commercial building is missing some shingles, this does not necessarily mean you need to completely replace your current roof system. However, it does mean your roof’s water mitigation abilities have been compromised, and your home or commercial building could be susceptible to water damage. Missing shingles can lead to water infiltration and mold and mildew in your attic, behind walls and under flooring. In this situation, time is not on your side.
Contact a local roofing company like Classic to uncover any underlying issues. You will also want to file a claim with your insurance company.
Signs You Need Roof Repair or Replacement
- Sagging roof: If a roof dips, it means structural support beams have been weakened or failed.
- Missing shingles: If missing shingles are not promptly replaced, owners can anticipate extensive and costly water damages.
- Utility bills spike: Damaged asphalt roof will lead to a spike in heating and cooling costs.
- Debris in gutters: If your gutters are awash in granules, your roof may be failing.
- Visible moisture damage: A leaking roof follows the path of least resistance, which is not typically straight down. Leaks can travel around windows and doors, through walls and ceilings, as well as the flashing around windows and doors.
- Curled, cracked and torn shingles: Homeowners and building owners are encouraged to engage a roofing contractor for routine inspections every year or every other year.
- Water stains on your ceiling: If your roof receives enough damage that there are water stains on your ceilings from water dripping down from the attic floor, then you should reach out to us immediately. We want to avoid mold and mildew growth in your attic, which can quickly spiral into more costly damages to the interior of your home.
Thinking about asphalt roof repairs in Tampa? Even if a home or commercial structure has not sustained wind or hail storm damage, it’s best to have an experienced technician evaluate a roof system’s performance on a routine basis, either every year or every other year. Contact the team at Classic Roofing & Construction by calling at 727-329-8023 in Tampa and 239-932-5225 in Fort Myers, or click on the Schedule a Free Estimate button.
