A great, functional roof installed by experienced roofers is the main protection that every home has against rain, wind, and other weather.

While every roofing installation is designed to prevent rain from getting inside the home, roofing companies do find times when heavy rains can create roofing problems.

Learn in this article how heavy rains can damage even the best roof and what roof contractors recommend to avoid that damage and maintain a dry roof year-round!

How Can Heavy Rain Cause Roofing Damage?

The residential roofing systems installed by professional roofing companies are designed to prevent rain from getting beneath the materials based on how the different components are installed on the roof and how they function together as a cohesive system.

During a normal rainfall, the system sheds water downward and along normal drainage paths including along flashing and gutters to divert water down and off the roof.

Roofers do find that during especially heavy rains and severe downpours, rainwater can get under the roofing materials in several ways.

When that happens, serious damage can occur, especially if these unexpected leaks go undetected for some time.

How Does Heavy Rainfall Get Under Roofing Materials?

Roof contractors note that the heavier and faster rain falls, the greater the possibility there is that it can seep under the edges or layers of exterior roofing materials, causing water damage.

When large volumes of water reach the roof faster than it can drain off, gutters can overflow, submerging the edges of the roofing and allowing the underlayment to absorb water.

Rain falling at high pressure or being blown by high winds can be forced upward under the seams and edges of the roofing material, saturating the underlayment that would normally remain dry due to the normal downward flow of water.

Roofing companies often see heavy downpours leading to seepage under and behind flashing as well or even under metal seams or hidden, unattached shingle corners.

What Are Some Signs of Roof Damage After A Heavy Rain?

As water-resistant as a professional roofing installation done by an experienced roofer is designed to be, it is still important for homeowners and contractors to look for signs of water damage after heavy rains.

Those signs may include water stains under the roof decking, wet insulation or stored personal items in the attic, ceiling leaks with water stains on ceilings and walls inside the home, mold growth, and moist, stale air.

Roof contractors also look for missing or damaged shingles or flashing, overflowed, clogged, or damaged gutters, and other signs of damage to exterior roofing materials.

Hire An Experienced Roofer For A Post-Storm Inspection

Although every roofing system is designed to provide watertight, breathable protection against the elements, even roofing companies know that no installation is 100% waterproof.

Severe storms with heavy downpours can cause unexpected water damage.

The safest protection a homeowner can have against this potential for damage is to hire an experienced roofer to handle their roofing installation and then have them come back to keep up with routine inspections and maintenance.

Have another inspection done after a particularly bad storm so the roof contractor can look for leaks and other signs of water damage, then make the necessary repairs!