Before the Event
Long-Range Preparations
Strong winds are often the most dangerous elements of a hurricane. Protecting the roof from high winds is essential to securing the integrity of your home during a storm.
- Take pictures of your roof for any possible insurance purposes.
- Make sure that shingles, tiles or panels are fastened down tightly and replace any that are missing or loose. Rather than checking the roof yourself, which can be dangerous and cause damage to the roof, hire a licensed roofing professional.
Standards For Storm-Proofing A Roof (PDF)
- If you need to replace or make significant repairs to your roof, incorporate hurricane-proof measures to ensure that the roof is secure. Discuss these measures with your contractor so your roof is designed with high winds in mind.
- Contractors should use hot-dipped, galvanized nails instead of staples to attach asphalt shingles.
- Roof trusses should have braces to prevent a structural element from buckling or racking. Install hurricane straps, which are galvanized metal straps designed to hold the roof rafter to the top of the exterior wall. These clips or straps usually require professional installation, but can limit damage to your roof caused by high hurricane winds.
- If you add tarps to your roof prior to the storm, ensure the tarps are secured to the roof with 2-by-1-inch wood strips placed at 48 inches on center, especially at the edges.
Short-Range Preparations
- Remove turbines.
- Trim nearby tree branches.
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Updated April 2013