Roofing Tips & Guides
Expert Roofing Advice for Charlotte Homeowners
Learn from Charlotte's trusted roofing experts. Tips on maintenance, repair, replacement, and protecting your home from the elements.
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Learn from Charlotte's trusted roofing experts. Tips on maintenance, repair, replacement, and protecting your home from the elements.
Living in North Carolina means beautiful seasons. It also means serious storms. From summer thunderstorms to hurricane season, your roof takes a beating year after year.
Here's the good news. You can protect your home before the next big storm hits. And you can save thousands of dollars in the process.
At Best Roofing Now, we've helped hundreds of Charlotte and Lake Norman homeowners prepare their roofs for whatever Mother Nature throws at them. Today, I'm sharing our proven five-step approach to storm-proofing your roof.
Let's dive in.
North Carolina ranks among the top states for severe weather damage. We see it all here. High winds. Heavy rain. Hail. And yes, the occasional hurricane that makes its way inland.
The average roof repair after storm damage costs between $300 and $1,500. A full replacement? That can run $8,000 to $25,000 or more.
But here's what most homeowners don't realize. Many storm damage claims could have been prevented. Simple maintenance and smart upgrades make a huge difference.
Think of storm-proofing like insurance for your insurance. You're protecting your biggest investment before disaster strikes.
And there's another benefit. Many insurance companies offer discounts for storm-resistant roofing features. So you save money on repairs AND your monthly premiums.
Your shingles are your roof's first line of defense. When they're compromised, water finds a way in. And water damage gets expensive fast.
Start by walking around your property. Look up at your roof from the ground. You're checking for:
Don't forget the flashing. That's the metal material around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Flashing creates a watertight seal at these vulnerable points.
Check for:
Here's something we see all the time in Charlotte. A homeowner ignores a few loose shingles. Then a summer thunderstorm rolls through. Wind catches those loose edges and rips shingles right off.
Now instead of a $200 repair, they're looking at thousands in water damage.
According to the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), "Regular maintenance can extend roof life by up to 50% and prevent costly emergency repairs."
Replace any compromised shingles before storm season hits. It's one of the cheapest ways to protect your home.
This step is especially important for homes near the coast or in high-wind areas. But honestly, every NC homeowner should consider it.
Hurricane ties (sometimes called hurricane clips) are metal connectors. They secure your roof trusses to the wall framing below.
Think about what happens in high winds. The wind doesn't just push against your house. It creates uplift pressure that tries to pull your roof off.
Hurricane ties resist that uplift. They keep your roof attached to your walls when the wind is doing everything it can to separate them.
You have a few choices here:
For most existing homes, hurricane ties offer the best protection-to-cost ratio. A qualified contractor can install them from your attic.
Here's where it gets interesting. Many insurance companies in NC offer premium discounts for hurricane-resistant features. We've seen discounts of 5% to 15% for homes with proper wind mitigation.
That means the upgrade can pay for itself in just a few years.
I know, I know. Gutter cleaning isn't glamorous. But trust me on this one. Clogged gutters cause more roof problems than most homeowners realize.
When gutters get blocked, water backs up. It pools on your roof edges. It seeps under shingles. It rots fascia boards. And during a storm? All that backed-up water has to go somewhere.
Usually, it goes into your home.
Here's what we recommend for Charlotte and Lake Norman homeowners:
Clear the debris
Check the downspouts
Tighten everything up
Consider gutter guards
For most NC homes, clean gutters twice a year minimum. Once in late fall after the leaves drop. Once in spring before storm season kicks in.
Got lots of pine trees? You might need quarterly cleaning. Those needles pile up fast.
This is where you can make the biggest long-term difference. The materials you choose matter more than you might think.
Not all shingles are created equal. Standard shingles might last through normal weather. But when hail starts falling or winds hit 70+ mph, they're vulnerable.
Impact-resistant shingles are different. They're designed to handle:
Look for shingles with a Class 4 impact rating. That's the highest rating available. We install these regularly for our Charlotte customers, and the difference in durability is real.
At Best Roofing Now, we offer several storm-resistant options:
Asphalt Shingles – Available in impact-resistant versions that exceed standard wind and hail ratings
Metal Roofing – Naturally resistant to wind, fire, and impact. Can last 50+ years with proper installation
Slate Roofing – Extremely durable natural stone. Handles almost anything weather throws at it
Each has pros and cons depending on your budget, home style, and priorities.
Here's something many homeowners don't know about. What goes UNDER your shingles matters just as much as the shingles themselves.
Ice and water shield (a sticky waterproof barrier) installed along vulnerable areas provides a second line of defense. If wind drives rain under your shingles, this underlayment stops it from reaching your decking.
We also recommend elastomeric coatings for flat or low-slope roofs. These create a seamless waterproof membrane that:
You can do a lot with a ground-level visual inspection. But there's no substitute for having a qualified professional get on your roof.
When we inspect a roof at Best Roofing Now, we check:
Shingle condition
Flashing and penetrations
Structural elements
Ventilation system
Attic inspection
Gutter and drainage
We recommend professional inspections:
⚠️ Important: If your roof is over 15-20 years old, you're in the zone where problems develop quickly. Annual inspections become even more critical.
Here's something I've learned in my years in this business. Storm damage isn't always visible from the ground.
Hail can bruise shingles without breaking them. Wind can loosen fasteners without moving shingles. Water can seep in slowly before any stain appears on your ceiling.
A professional inspection finds these hidden issues before they become major problems.
Let me be straight with you. The best materials in the world won't protect your home if they're installed wrong.
We've seen it too many times. A homeowner pays for a new roof. The contractor cuts corners. Shingles aren't nailed in the right spot. Flashing isn't sealed properly. Underlayment is skipped in critical areas.
Then the first big storm hits. And all those shortcuts become very expensive problems.
At Best Roofing Now, proper installation means:
It takes longer. It costs a bit more. But it's the only way to get the full benefit of storm-resistant materials.
When you work with us on storm-proofing your roof, you get more than just materials and labor.
We stand behind our work with a lifetime warranty. That's not just marketing talk. It means if something fails due to workmanship, we fix it. Period.
This matters especially for storm-proofing. You want to know that when the next big storm rolls through, your roof: and your warranty: have your back.
We live here too. We know Charlotte weather. We know Lake Norman weather. We've seen what happens when a late-summer storm drops golf ball-sized hail on Huntersville. Or when a tropical system stalls over Mooresville.
That local knowledge shapes how we approach every project. We know which details matter most for our specific climate challenges.
Not every roof needs the same level of storm-proofing. We'll give you honest recommendations based on:
Sometimes the smart move is a full replacement with impact-resistant materials. Sometimes it's targeted repairs and upgrades. We'll help you figure out what makes sense for YOUR situation.
Let's bring it all together. Here's your checklist:
✅ This Week: Do a ground-level visual inspection of your shingles and flashing
✅ This Month: Clean your gutters and check drainage
✅ Before Storm Season: Schedule a professional inspection
✅ Based on Inspection: Decide on repairs, reinforcement, or material upgrades
✅ Long-Term: Consider impact-resistant materials for your next roof replacement
Every step you take now pays dividends when the storms come. And in North Carolina, the storms always come.
You don't have to figure this out alone. Our team at Best Roofing Now helps Charlotte and Lake Norman homeowners prepare their roofs for whatever weather comes next.
Schedule your free storm-readiness inspection today. We'll assess your roof's current condition, identify vulnerabilities, and give you a clear plan to protect your home and save money.
Don't wait for the next storm to find out if your roof can handle it. Let's get ahead of it together.
Best Roofing Now
Charlotte's trusted roofing experts since 2019
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