Metal Roofs in Hurricane Alley

Growing up along the North Carolina coastline, weve weathered storm systems with wind gust of over 90 miles per hour, which were not hurricanes. For countless decades, the metal roof on my grandparents home has held fast. It was only after Hurricane Ophelia in 2005 that my parents decided to replace the 65-year-old metal roof with a new one.

Before I go on, I would like to state, that no matter what type of roof you have on your home, in the event of an approaching hurricane, if you are instructed to evacuateplease do so.

There are several advantages that metal roofs have to offer, first is their durability and the fact that they usually lasts twice as long as an asphalt roof. Metal roofs also reflect more heat away from the home, which make them energy efficient in the summer especially in the southern climates. Other benefits are that metal roofs are more resistant to damage from hail, branches, and strong winds and rainwater-harvesting systems can be used with many metal roofs. However, there are also disadvantages associated with metal roofs, primarily the fact that many homeowner associations forbid them. Another disadvantage is that not many home improvement centers stock metal roofs as they do asphalt shingle products.

If you want to install a Hurricane Proof roof, you first must determine the type of roof that you have. Homes that have gabled roofs receive more damage from high winds than homes, which do not have gables. Gables are the triangle peaks that are formed by a sloping roof. Gables are formed by the hips, peaks, and valleys of the roof. Porches and dormers can also form gables. Therefore, all gables need to be strengthened by installing additional braces in the trusses as well as at all gable ends. In addition, you may want to contact a qualified builder to discuss having galvanized metal hurricane straps installed, which will help secure the roof to the walls giving the roof added security.

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