Storm Events

1/29/2020 (Permalink)

Repairing roof damage from storm event

One of the reasons Southern California is such a desirable place to live is our stable climate. Mild, seventy-five degree days in the middle of November are par for the course here, and you can visit the beach on just about any day of the year. In my thirty years of living in California, I can most certainly recall some downright hot Christmas mornings.

Once in a great while, however, the weather changes dramatically. Some of the more notable storms in our recent history include:

• The 2014 North American Storm Complex, which produced not only rain, hail, and high winds, but snow.
• 2017’s floods, which were the worst the state has seen in 122 years.
• 2018 winter storms, which came shortly after the Thomas Fire and caused not only rain water damage, but also caused massive mudslides in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, leading to multiple evacuations.

As residents of Southern California, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that we live in a coastal state that sees real devastation from the weather now and then. Even our normal winter and spring storm systems can sometimes wreak major havoc. Many of the ranch-style homes that make up around 75% of the suburbs here were built in the 70’s and 80’s and have never had major components (such as roofs, attic insulation, or windows) replaced or updated. Chances are likely that if a glaring issue has never arisen, many homeowners simply pay no attention to such things.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Unfortunately, after a heavy and usually unexpected downpour, sometimes it is broke.

Many of the modern composition shingle roofs of today come with a 50 year guarantee. Manufacturers use cutting edge technology to ensure not only long-term strength and integrity, but technical updates to ensure proper installation. In years past, such was not the case. Many small issues, like poor production technique, cheap materials, or nail blow-through from substandard installation contribute to larger issues for homeowners down the line. Best-case scenario, small leaks will form and begin to drip into attic insulation. Wet insulation is essentially useless, and eventually that moisture will work its way down into your ceiling. This causes bubbling of the paint, warping of the wood and if left unchecked, eventually mold. Water also has an annoying tendency to spread down into walls, potentially causing mold deposits to form behind drywall. Sufficed to say, this can be a major headache to deal with.

While many precautions can be taken to avoid these issues (replacing an old roof or windows to prevent possible water entry, sandbags to prevent flooding, etc.), most people don’t have the time, money, or patience to address such things. The good news is that even though life happens, SERVPRO of Chino / Chino Hills is here to help you through the worst of it. We offer world-class restoration, drying, and mold remediation services so you can stop worrying about Mother Nature and get back to business as usual.