How to Prepare Your Commercial Roof for the 2019 Hurricane Season

Here are a few important tips to protect your commercial flat roof system from damage this hurricane season in Florida: June 1 – November 30

The Hurricane Season in Florida runs from June 1^st– November 30^th; with the peak of the season in August and September. Over the past three years, we’ve been fortunate to avoid a direct hit in South Florida. Although, we’ve had some close calls when hurricane Matthew rolled past Florida’s east coast in 2016 and Irma’s catastrophic hit on the Florida Keys in 2017, the costliest hurricane season on record. And most recently in 2018, Hurricane Michael came ashore in the Florida Panhandle as the fourth-strongest wind storm on record to make landfall on the continental United States.

For 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a near-average season with 9-15 named storms, 4-8 of which may become hurricanes and 2-4 that may become major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher. One named storm, Andrea, already formed prior to the start of the season. NOAA’s hurricane outlook is similar to Colorado State University’s, which calls for 13 named storms, 5 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes.

Officials underscore the fact that an average season is still “a lot of storms.” As many of us, unfortunately, know from experience, it only takes one storm to cause complete destruction so now is the best time to prepare your commercial building to protect it from leaks and major storm damage.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COMMERCIAL ROOF FROM A HURRICANE?

The purpose of the NOAA outlook is to encourage hurricane season preparedness, and the best way to be prepared is to have a plan in place now that could help save you time, money and stress should a storm approach. NOAA plans to upgrade its top forecast model, the GFS, this season, and this new version is expected to improve both tropical storm track and intensity forecasts. This will better enable homeowners and commercial building owners to take action prior to a storm.

Top 10 Commercial Roofing Hurricane Season Tips:

1. The first step in protecting your building from roof leaks and storm damage is to have a preventative maintenance plan and follow inspection protocols. Of the roofs we have seen fail throughout the years, 95% were due to lack of maintenance and poor workmanship during installation.
2. Perform repairs now to fix common issues like damage to the membrane, flashings, sealants, and drainage systems.
3. Clear all gutters, downspouts, and drains of debris that can cause a blockage.
4. Secure rooftop mechanical equipment with hurricane straps. 70% of the roof damage we see following a hurricane is due to loose HVAC equipment rolling across the membrane that can cause many small holes.
5. Be sure to trim trees and bushes away from the building by at least 3ft to prevent damage to the roof system as well as to reduce leaves in the drainage system.
6. Cover older skylights with wood or a metal cage to protect them from flying debris.
7. Make sure the roof hatch and the roof access doors close properly.
8. Review your roof warranty and insurance policy to ensure it’s up-to-date and that you understand the coverage provided. If needed, get clarification on your policy before a storm hits.
9. Update and test your hurricane plan, and share emergency contacts with team members. Important contacts should include the roofer, water restoration company, and insurance provider.
10. Service your generator and make sure it’s operating at peak performance. Don’t forget to stockpile gasoline ahead of time to avoid those long gas lines, and never operate a generator indoors.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A STORM

1. Check for Roof Leaks inside of the building and protect items that can be damaged by water.
2. Document Damages with photos and video to help facilitate your insurance claim.
3. Call your Insurance Provider first to make a claim as it can take a while to get a claim process.
4. Call your roofing contractor to make repairs using the roof system manufacturer-approved materials only to protect the roof warranty.
5. Repair or Replace? If your commercial roof system suffers more than 25% water damage to the insulation, Florida laws require you to replace the entire roof system.

Important Resources

• Hurricane Season Preparedness Podcast
• Hurricane Season Checklist
• Florida Hurricane Information
• Broward County
• Miami-Dade County
• Palm Beach County
• Lee County
• Brevard County
• Central Florida
• North Florida

WHY WORK WITH ADVANCED ROOFING AFTER A HURRICANE?

1. Advanced Team: We have seven offices in Florida and more than 430 employees to help with repairs following a storm.
2. Emergency Generators: Emergency generators are located at all branch locations to keep operations going. Following Hurricane Irma, our Fort Lauderdale headquarters was without power for five days and the generators were critical pieces of equipment to have so we did not lose any production days post-storm.
3. Offsite Email: Our offsite communication system ensures we will always be accessible following a storm.
4. Fuel & Supplies: We have a special reserve of fuel and supplies for our entire fleet to ensure quick mobilization for emergency repairs.
5. Advanced Access: Our innovative cloud-based roof management technology lets you quickly view warranty documents, dispatch our repair crews, and track projects in real-time.
6. South Florida Disaster Resiliency Coalition: We partner with emergency management and private-public entities across the tri-county area to enhance and build a hurricane-resilient community.
7. Roof Connect: As a founding member of Roof Connect, we have a partnership with 60 premier roofing contractors from around the country that can assist our crews in the event of a natural disaster, ensuring we have the manpower to get your business up and running immediately following a storm.

Schedule Your Hurricane Season Roof Inspections Today

Preparing your operations for a hurricane can be overwhelming.  Take action now to perform preventive maintenance inspections and repairs on your roof before and after a major storm hits.  Advanced Roofing, Inc. is here to help. Call us today at (800) 638-6869 or click here to have your roof inspected and documented so you are prepared this Hurricane Season.

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