As a homeowner living in a hurricane-prone area, you may be justly concerned about what would happen to your roof if a hurricane or tropical storm came your way this season. But if you're replacing your roof this year (or building a new one on a new house), there are several things you can do to help it resist hurricane-force winds. Here are three things to consider if you're installing a metal roof.

1. Make sure the roof deck is watertight

Metal roofing isn't as fragile as tile, and it's more resistant to wind than shingle (if installed correctly). However, in a strong hurricane, chances are that some pieces of roofing could be ripped off anyway, so relying on the roofing material itself to protect your belongings from water damage is unwise. Instead, make your roof deck watertight to provide a secondary protection from water intrusion into your home.

2. Increase the number and strength of fastenings

Use special nails with rings around the shank to increase your roof's resistance to wind forces. You can also use hurricane clips, which help by keeping your roof deck securely fastened to your walls so it's less able to blow away. Other fastenings you can add include caulking around the edge of each piece of roofing material, construction adhesive underneath the roof deck (at the connecting point on each side of each rafter to secure the rafters and the roof deck together more strongly) and tie-down fasteners.

3. Reduce overhang

No matter how well you fasten your roof to the roof deck and the roof deck to the house, having a lot of overhang is just asking for problems. The more overhang you have, the easier it is for the wind to attack your roof. It's best to limit the amount of overhang to 20 inches or less (look up local building codes in case there are more stringent requirements where you live). 

These three things can help you and your roof in the event of a storm. The stronger your metal roof is, the stronger the hurricane will have to be to damage or destroy it. Remember, though, no matter how strong your roof is, there's no guarantee that your house is a safe place to be during a storm. It's so easy for the storm to become much stronger than expected. It's always safest to evacuate when evacuations are called for.

Talk to a company such as JD Metals for more information about hurricane-proofing your roof. 

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