If you're a Minneapolis/St. Paul area homeowner who is planning on having your roof replaced soon, you may want to ask your roofing contractor about re-nailing the roof deck when the new roof is installed.  This is not something that is customarily done as part of a roof replacement, but the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety recommends this additional step for homeowners who live in areas where strong winds are common.  And as you know, especially in the spring and summer, wind-driven rain, tornadoes, and straight-line winds are a part of our usual weather.

Making sure that the roof deck - which underlies and supports the roofing over it - is secure.  It will help your roof last longer, and it will help it to hold up better to high winds.   This extra step will cost a bit more, but it's a preventative measure that's well worth the expense.

How do you know if your roof deck needs to be re-nailed?  Ask your roofer to inspect the connections to the roof trusses or rafters to make sure they're secure.  This inspection should be performed AFTER the old roofing and underlayment is torn off.  Severe storms over the years can loosen the original fastenings, and at times re-fastening the decking is needed to restore its stability.  High winds and other severe weather can subject your home to a beating, and the roof takes a major part of that.

Not all roofing materials perform well in the face of strong winds and heavy rains, and that's why many homeowners are choosing to replace asphalt shingles with metal roofing.  Most metal roofs are rated to withstand approximately 140 mph winds, which includes the most common tornadoes.  The wind resistance of metal  roofing materials significantly exceeds that of current building codes, which should help you rest a little easier the next time the severe weather alert goes off.  In addition to its wind resistance, metal roofing is extremely impervious to wind-driven rain and resists impact damage from hail, which is another severe weather threat we often deal with.

If you have questions about roof deck stability, metal roofing, or any other roofing-related issues, please give us a call.  We've been helping Minnesota homeowners protect their homes with quality roofing products for three decades.