The United States experiences all types of weather extremes, such as the extreme beauty of a sunset on a clear night, extreme heat, tornados, thunderstorms, hurricanes, extreme dryness, and extreme rain. The extreme weather that we experience in Phoenix, Arizona, is the monsoon season when the wind and rain can wreak havoc on roofing materials. For example, the annual rain in Arizona is 12.5 inches a year and nearly half of Arizona counties receive half of their rainfall in the monsoon months that run mid-June through mid-August. Every year during the monsoon season, the local news spreads information on the areas that have been hit by the biggest storms. This can generate attention from storm-chasing roofers that should not be trusted. But you can trust JBS Roofing Phoenix, a company with several years of experience.
Beware of Storm Chasers and Scams
Out of town storm chasers hear of a vicious storm and scout the area after the storm. They look for fallen trees or noticeable wind or hail damage. They are looking for victims and are sometimes referred to as storm gypsies. They show up unannounced and knock on the door or drop off leaflets that offer free inspections. First, do not let them climb on your roof. They may create damage while up there, and if they are not insured and are injured you could be held liable.
Damage to Roofs
Most shingles roofs can handle a wind resistance rating of approximately 60 miles per hour. Severe summer weather brings storms to Arizona that can easily send gusting winds that blow with a force of 75 miles per hour or higher. This means each storm is damaging your roof and your family could be at risk after this last monsoon. Severe wind gusts, heavy rain, blowing dust and even hail hit Phoenix during the monsoon season.
While totally hail-proof roofs do not exist, we do have hail-RESISTANT roofs. Class-one through class-four hail-resistant roof shingles are available with class-four being the highest. These ratings are gained after completing a steel ball test performed by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). The steel ball is dropped onto the roof from a pre-determined height and a measurement of the damage experienced by the roof gets a class-one through four ratings.
Heavy rain, wind, and hail can loosen roofing material, and if it is damaged, lifted, or cracked there is a strong possibility that rain and moisture will enter the outer layer of roofing material and reach the underlayment and the waterproof layer. It is critical to have your roof checked after each serious storm and throughout the monsoon season. Walking on the roof to check its structure and look for damage can actually damage the roof and it puts the person in danger. Binoculars are a wise way to check your roof after each storm. After a raging storm, calling a local contracting roofing expert would be the best idea.
Avoid Potential Storm Chasing Scams
The storm chasing roofer will claim that they work directly with insurance companies, and they say that it will cost you nothing. The scam is that they take the total amount from the insurance company and they charge the insurance for good material, but they only complete the bare minimum and only the basic repairs. The homeowners that turn to storm chasers are left with a poorly repaired roof, and the roofs completed by a storm chaser usually only last a few years.
Have a Trusted Phoenix Contractor Check For:
• Missing or lifted shingles, tiles, shake or foam roofing materials
• Missing or lifted and bent flashing.
These are metal strips that cover the edges of the roof and areas on the roof near an AC or heating unit, vent, skylight or chimney.
• Missing sealant
The sealant is around skylights, chimneys, soffits, and other areas on the roof that have penetrations.
• Watermarks or dark spots
Watermarks indicate that there is a leak and water is sitting or was sitting in that area. Check for suspicious marks and stains in the attic and in other areas in your home.
>Avoid scams by relying on contractors who have a business in the community and who can share years of references for the work that they have completed. JBS Roofing in Phoenix, Arizona is reliable and has a positive reputation in Arizona.
Call JBS Roofing today to ask about your roof (623) 247-9252 info@jbsroofingaz.com
