Hurricane season may come and go quickly, but at Chris Barbara Development, our contractors think about it year-round. Natural disasters are a part of life, and we want to be prepared with the industry’s best strategies to keep your residential or commercial property safe. If you’re a business owner, now is the time to think about how best to prepare for hurricane season. To help you get started, we have prepared this information to act as a guide during your hurricane preparations. If you experience any damage after a storm, we’ll help you back on your feet. Contact our team for a roofing contractor in Palm Beach Gardens to aid you.
Professional Roof Inspection
The roof is one of the building’s first lines of defense against natural disasters, which ultimately makes it more vulnerable to damages. This is one of the reasons we recommend having a professional roofing contractor in Palm Beach Gardens to inspect your roof a few times a year. Another reason is that your roof is a large investment and if anything happens to it, this can be a significant financial setback. Additionally, we recommend you schedule an inspection just before and after a storm. The contractor you hire will check for:
- Tears
- Cracks
- Debris
- Loose material
- Water ponds (for flat roofs)
Inspect Roof Flashing
Roof flashing is designed to direct water away from crucial areas that are vulnerable to damage, like walls, roof valleys and under shingles. As a result, before a storm hits, it’s advised that you check it for things like corrosion, aging, and/or weathering. Just inspect it, don’t attempt any repairs, as it takes considerable skill to complete the job. If you see that it’s compromised in any way, contact a professional.
Repair Past-due Damages
Everybody saves repairs for the last minute, especially when it comes to roof repairs. After all, out of sight, out of mind. However, it’s recommended that you handle any repairs that may jeopardize the integrity of the building, such as roof leaks, surface erosion, and poor drainage. Make sure to check the skylights for possible damage, even if it hasn’t caused problems in the past. It should have no cracks and leaks. You should also inspect it to see that it’s properly attached.
If you do experience damage, contact our Damage Mitigation Emergency Response Team. The goal of our response team is to minimize damage by responding quickly to clean up and repair damages while also taking additional measures to ensure your building doesn’t experience damage again – at least no time soon.
Consider Impact Windows
Every hurricane season, do you look at the fragility of your windows and wish you didn’t have so many?
You may think impact windows are too great an expense, but a building must depend on strong windows to resist heavy rain and winds over 150 mph. You may think it’s costly, and you would be right. However, installing impact windows will increase the safety of your building and minimize damage. In the long run, impact windows are durable, long-lasting, and worth the investment. We all hope to be spared significant damage every year, but if South Florida does experience another bad hurricane season, your commercial building will be armed to withstand it.
Secure Roof-Mounted Equipment
If you have anything mounted to your roof, it will need to be inspected to ensure it’s properly secured. Loose or unsecured items can easily become dangerous in strong winds. If your roof holds HVAC equipment like many other commercial roofs, it’s recommended that you contact a specialist to check that the equipment is correctly installed. It also is not advised to have debris on your roof during a hurricane, so clear the roof of debris and don’t forget to look under all roof-mounted equipment to see if anything is hiding there.
Contact Chris Barbara Development
We hope these instructions prove helpful this hurricane season. And remember, if you experience any damage to your property, contact our team for immediate disaster relief. After a storm, we will assist with the cleanup effort, draft repair designs, create a strategy to prevent future damage, and ensure safety standards are met. For our turnkey solutions and a roofing contractor in Palm Beach Gardens, contact Chris Barbara Development. Get in touch at (561) 312-2717.