Your 4-Step Storm Preparedness Program
Has your building been hit by severe storms this year? This is a rhetorical question. The best time to make decisions about how to handle storms is BEFORE they occur. If you’re responsible for managing buildings, then you know that roof leaks are inevitable.
Here are the four steps in developing a preparedness program:
- Having agreements in place with all primary vendors.
- Ensuring you have a current condition report to ensure the asset is ready for the storm and in good serviceable condition.
- Knowing your insurance policy and what is covered/your responsibility.
- Priority response with your vendors to ensure you don’t get put on a “waiting list”.
We specialize in partnering with our customers to ensure all of these items are checked off the list before a storm hits.
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Initial Inspection & Condition Report (LOOKOUT™)
When it comes to taking care of an expensive asset like your roof, getting a full inspection and condition report should be the first step. We encourage this step to be taken ASAP, but especially before a season of storms that bring heavy wind, rain, and hail. Many roofing contractors offer inspections and condition reports, so you have options and no excuse. Remember, waiting until after storms have passed is only going to create more damage and cost you more money and time.
Castro Roofing offers an extensive roof monitoring and service program called LOOKOUT™, designed to minimize total roofing cost by eliminating expensive emergency repairs. Here is just some of what LOOKOUT™ offers that can help prepare for the harsh storms ahead.
- A written report with a summary of the existing roof(s) condition.
- All defects listed with a picture of the defect.
- The repair specification for each defect with our cost to repair it.
- A gridded locator drawing provides mapping of each defect’s location.
- Roof drains will be cleaned of leaves and minor debris around the bowl at no additional charge to help improve sluggish or blocked drainage.
- A cost summary of repairs allowing you to do all of the repairs found or only the items you choose to do.
- As a Castro Roofing maintenance client, you will be guaranteed 24-hour service on all leak calls.
- You are provided with a report that documents all rooftop maintenance activity and recommendations.
When your roof has certain pre-existing conditions, defects (big or small), or blockage from debris, there is a higher likelihood that even more damage can be caused from a severe storm. To avoid emergency repairs or larger damage that costs more time & money, get your roof inspected NOW so those small problems are taken care of before they get worse.
The Castro Roofing LOOKOUT™ Program includes many other services and information regarding your roof. To learn more about the program visit our ROOF ASSESSMENT page of our website.
Storm Readiness (FIRSTWATCH)
Whether or not you have had your roof assessed before storm season, there are still steps you can take to prepare for the storms ahead. Each type of storm brings various situations and each one of them is dangerous, not only to the people in the business, but to property and profit. This is compounded by the lack of preparation and the lack of a clear and precise emergency plan as it relates to the business and its employees.
Make sure all rooftop equipment is secured to your roof. HVAC units, fans, or vents all should be secured in the event of heavy winds. It would be detrimental to your roof’s membrane if this equipment moved and caused severe damage like large rips or holes.
Clear your property of any debris that could be picked up or broken down by heavy winds. Overhanging vegetation like large tree branches could fall and puncture your roofs membrane. Tying down or storing items on your property can help prevent flying debris which can lessen the chances of more damage.
Most businesses in the United States do not have an emergency plan that helps them deal with the critical nature of storms. Castro Roofing’s FirstWatch Storm Readiness Program will assist businesses in developing a preparedness program by providing tools to create a plan that addresses the impact of many types of storm damages.