Here’s How to Make Sure Your Roof Can Weather The Coming Storms

Every week, the detail-oriented folks at Green Scene Home Inspections will give CandysDirt.com readers an education in inspection. Want to see what they see? Tune in  for “Upon Closer Inspection.”

Between summer storms and the approaching tornado season, your roof can take a beating this time of year.

The roof is one of the major expenses in a house, so if you’re buying a home in North Texas, you’ll want to look out for storm damage. Hail, branches banging against the roof, high winds, and other debris blown around in a storm can compromise the roof and allow water to leak in, which can cause major damage inside.

Here’s a photo of some pretty serious damage – this roof would need to be replaced.

For hail damage, you’d see this type of patterned markings on the roof. After a storm, an insurance adjuster will come out and measure a “test square.” If there are sufficient marks within the square, they’ll replace the roof.

Just because a roof is new doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be inspected. Our Inspector found penetrations and improper installation that would almost certainly sustain damage in a storm.

In this video, Inspector John walks a roof that is at the end of its life expectancy to give you an idea what indications you might see.