Essential Tips to Know During a Roofing Emergency(2023)

While different things can be considered an emergency, when it comes to your roof, you don’t want to take any chances. A roofing emergency can occur at any moment of the day. From hail storms to strong wind storms, to unprecedented occurrences. That’s why its crucial to stay alert and take some precautions and be prepared in case there are any emergencies on the horizon. Keep reading to find out what is considered a roofing emergency and what you can do about it.

And remember, companies like Oscar Roofing can help you with every step of the way and help relieve the damage when stressful situations occur.

To put it simply, a roofing emergency can occur when the state of your roof becomes unsafe and becomes dangerous for the structure of your home. At the same time, it can also become dangerous for your family to stay put under this roof. A roof emergency can occur when there is a strong hail or wind storm, a tree falls on your roof, or there is a bad or multiple leaks.

Other things that can be considered a roofing emergency include:

• Most of your roof has been blown off or missing due to a storm
• Rotted wood deck is causing your roof to concave in and it looks like the roof could fall off in any minute
• A tree or large branch has fallen on the roof and rain water has started to pour in
• Lots of missing shingles throughout the roof are causing multiple leaks

When you find yourself in these situations, the first thing to do is get your family and yourself to a safe area. Once everyone has moved to a better location, you should document the damage by taking photos and videos of your home. Then, call a roofing company to come right away. While some companies may not be able to send someone right away, if you explain the issue at hand, they might be able to accommodate you on their schedule.

Once the roofing inspector arrives, show them the area or areas of damage. The roofing inspector will get to work right away and assess the damage, document their findings and let you know what the best course of action will be.

We also advise that, if damage is caused due to rain water, to cover the affected area and underneath the affected are with plastic or any other materials in order to prevent more damage to your items.

In most cases, the roofing inspector or team of inspectors will be able to cover or partially cover the damaged roof area with tarp  in order to avoid more rain water from coming in.

Depending on the extent of the damage, it is possible for you to take care of the roof yourself. With the proper tools, necessary equipment and roofing expertise, a small roof patch can do the job and make the house secure. Keep in mind, these are for really small roof damages. If there are bigger issues, then its best to contact a roofing company. They will be able to assess the full extend of the damage and let you know if the repair is superficial or if there’s more damage than is visible.

• The first thing to do is make sure that the structure is safe to walk on and clean off all the debris around the area
• Check the base of your roof and make sure that if there are any rotten or damaged plywoods, to remove and replace these
• Depending on how you want to manage your roof, you should always add underpayments, however, these will not be all connected horizontally
• Once everything is uniform, apply the shingles of your choosing. These should be similar to the ones your roof currently has. Start at the bottom and work your way up.

One of the most common questions that homeowners ask us and one that you should be asking your insurance company about is if your home is covered for any emergency repairs and happenstances. Roofing replacements can be very expensive due to the quantity of materials and number of people that are involved in one project. Of course, your insurance and the plan that you choose determine what is covered. From full replacements to repairs, as well as your deductible. This is all determined based on the insurance plan you choose.

When reaching out to your insurance and starting a claim, its essential that you take photo documentation of your house and the damage. Take photos from all angles, from the outside as well as inside and make sure that the date is recorded on the file name or somewhere on the photo. For insurance purposes, and as an added tip, document the other items in your home(if any) that have also received damage. Take pictures of all these items and know the price points of these and add them to your claim. While we know this has nothing to do with roofing, we like to make our customers aware of tips that can benefit them down the road.

While it can be hard to answer this question, the honest answer is that it depends on the damage. A small leak can turn ugly really fast, that is because its hard to see what is going on inside the roof. The better question to ask is: if we leave a leaky roof unattended, how much damage will it cause before it gets bad.

The size of the roof, what kind of materials were used, the attic size are the main factors to consider when you have a leak. Most expert roofing companies will strongly encourage you to fix the issue as soon as yo notice something is off. You might think that a leak is not that bad, however, it can affect other areas of your roof down the road. And we know no one wants to call their roofer multiple times.

• The water that has made its way to the walls or ceilings will leave water marks and continue to stain more if left unattended
• Mold could start to grow if water keeps spreading. Along with the hot temperatures, creating the perfect environment for mold. Mold can cause health issues if left to grow and spread and will also weaken your plywoods or other areas of your home
• Water pooling along certain areas of your home can be dangerous. Not only because it is slippery but also it can be a hazard when near electrical outlets or other electronic appliances

Waiting too long to fix a roof issue will cost more in the long run. Its not a good idea leaving damage unattended. If for any reason you can’t fix the issue right away, call your roofing contractor and have them inspect the damage. They can provide some insight and help cover the area with a tarp to avoid more damage from spreading.

You never know when an emergency will occur. That is why its good to be prepared. Having some essential tools around the house is important, for roof emergencies, having a plastic tarp is the best item to have around the house. If you have called your roofing contractors and they are not able to come right away, then a temporary repair is the best option you can make. Following these simple steps, you can temporarily help your roof.

1. With a tarp, cover the leaky areas and nail these along the edges. Cover the nails with roofing cement.
2. If multiple shingles have flown or fallen off, then try to reapply them by straightening them out and attaching them with roofing cement. One by one, slide them under the other shingles and apply the roofing cement.
3. Don’t have any shingles, tarps or plastic? Then use what you have! You can use any metal materials or others that can help dispel water.

While we have outlined the steps of simple repair above, we STRONGLY recommend you call a local roofing contractor to help you with any roofing issue you may have.When experiencing any roofing emergency, call us, Oscar Roofing to help.

We have helped thousands of homeowners in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Fishers and all other areas near by. We are the reliable company, here for your 24/7 emergency roofing services. We also provide other home services, such as gutters, siding and painting. You can contact us on our online form or give us a call at (812)545-1381 for your free inspection today!