Winter storms have damaged homes and businesses across the Central Coast, leading to roofing companies receiving more requests than usual.
“We have seen a very large uptick in calls. Probably over 400 already this year," said Mark Braithwaite, A to Z Roofing owner.
That's compared to about 100 at this same time last year.
“We haven’t had a lot of rain and it’s been overwhelming this year so to speak,” he said.
Braithwaite attributes most of the roof damage to the high winds and heavy rain.
“The shingles blow off and roofs leak causing black mold and lots of damage inside to the insulation and drywall ceilings,” he said.
In order to prevent damage, Braithwaite recommends checking your roof periodically, especially before rainstorms.
Other roofing companies are also struggling to meet demand as storms continue to ravage properties on the Central Coast.
“Oh my gosh, we got so much wind damage but you know, I just wish we could get to everybody but we can’t. But we’re trying to,” said Robert Brewer, Coast Roofing owner/operator.
Brewer says the amount of rain the Central Coast has received this year is to blame for leaky roofs.
“It’s been overwhelming. Our phone is ringing off the hook,” he said.
According to Brewer, he has received three times the number of calls he normally would expect this time of year.
As for advice ahead of this next storm….
“Just clean your drains out if you have a flat roof, because I’ve been on a few calls where I went out and it’s just built up and the drains are clogged,” Brewer said.
Brewer says shingles blowing off your roof or a tree limb hitting your house is likely to be covered by homeowner’s insurance and could help you out financially after a particularly damaging storm.
