Your home’s roof is responsible to a multitude of things, such as protecting you from the heat, rain, snow, hail, and other threatening weather conditions that affect your safety. However, compared to other parts of your home, like your lawn, kitchen, and walls, your roof is probably one of the most overlooked parts when it comes to maintenance. When left unattended for far too long, a damaged roof can cause a lot of trouble and put your life and that of those that you love at risk. If a roof isn’t in tip-top shape, it can cave in when subjected to high winds, strong storms, pelts of hail, and wear and tear from the rain and the sun.
Should you decide to maintain your roof (or if you started maintaining it long before your stumbled upon this article), then it’s important to do a quick check on how it’s holding up, which means you’ll have to check for visible signs of damage and do a few inspections just to make sure its safety and durability aren’t compromised in some way.
Inspecting Your Roof on Your Own
When trying to inspect your roof, there are a few telltale signs that you’ll need to look out for when thoroughly checking any danger points that may lead to even greater damage when not quickly addressed:
- Lifted shingles
- Pieces of debris and other waste on your roof
- Broken tiles
Spotting these tell-tale signs right away can save you a fortune by performing a preventive fixing procedure through your local roofing contractor, sparing you from a gargantuan amount of damage and expenses if luck runs out and your roof caves in. If you spot any of these signs, DON’T ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THEM AT ALL, because one mistake can cost you your home’s roof sooner or later than expected.
What To Do if You Have a Broken Roof
Instead of trying to fix things yourself (unless you’re a roofing contractor and expert repairman), there is one particular thing that you’ll have to do in order to get everything done the correct way:
Call your insurance company
The only thing more painful that having a roof cave in on you when you least expect it is a huge bill for a broken roof that could have been avoided if you had told your insurance company sooner. Once you’ve spotted the tell-tale signs of damage, pick up your phone and call your insurance company to tell them all about what happened, what might happen, and what could possibly be taken care of. The insurance company will assess your report and check if it’s under the insurance policy you got for your home, and then they will schedule an appointment with the adjustor to visit your home to ensure that the damage is real. Once all the required paperwork is done, you’ll have to call a roofing contractor to send a quote to your insurance company so that you can receive your claim to get repairs underway.
There’s a reason why people refer to having a home as having a “roof over your head.” A roof keeps you safe and sound, ready to face another day. Before your home goes from a safe haven to a danger zone, make sure that it’s in good condition by being proactive and conducting regular inspections.