Emergency Roofing Services in Palm Beach County: What to Expect

When the roof is letting water in

A roofing emergency is water or wind getting past the roof into the house: an active leak during rain, a section of tile or shingle torn away, a tree limb through the deck, or a ceiling that is sagging with water. Everything else, a slipped tile with no leak, a lifted ridge cap, a stain that dried out, is urgent but can wait for a proper inspection.

Molsbee Roofing has roofed Palm Beach County homes since 1975, from our office in Lake Worth Beach. This post covers what you can do in the first hours, what a temporary dry-in is, and how the permanent repair is documented and priced.

What should you do before a roofer gets there?

Start with safety, then limit the damage inside.

• Stay off the roof. Wet tile and shingle are slick, storm-damaged decking can be weak, and a roof is no place to be in gusting wind.
• Watch for electricity. If water is running near light fixtures, outlets or the panel, shut off power to that area at the breaker if you can do so safely.
• Catch and move. Put buckets under drips, move furniture and electronics out of the wet area, and cover what cannot be moved with plastic sheeting.
• Stay clear of a bulging ceiling. A ceiling holding water can come down all at once. Keep people out of the room, do not try to drain it yourself, and call us or another qualified professional.
• Photograph everything from the ground and inside. Wide shots of each side of the house, close shots of anything on the lawn that came off the roof, and every stain or drip indoors. Note the date and time. These photos matter later, for your records and for your insurer.
• Keep receipts for tarps, plastic, buckets or anything else you buy to protect the house.

If a service mast or the wires to the house were pulled by the storm, call the utility first. In our home town, Lake Worth Beach, the city owns its electric utility, so that call goes to Lake Worth Beach Electric, not FPL.

What is a temporary dry-in?

A temporary dry-in keeps water out until the permanent repair can be permitted and built. Depending on the roof, it can mean:

• A heavy tarp laid over the damaged area, carried over the ridge and fastened with battens so wind cannot get under it.
• Resetting or temporarily securing displaced tile so it does not become debris in the next gust.
• Sealing an open penetration, a torn vent boot or a failed flashing joint.
• Covering exposed decking where the covering has blown off.

A dry-in is protection, not a repair. It is meant to hold for a short time, and wind, sun and heavy rain wear it down. The permanent fix still has to be designed, permitted and inspected to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition.

How is the permanent repair decided?

Once the house is protected, the work follows the same proof process we use on every roof:

1. A free roof inspection. We look at the covering, the flashing, the penetrations and the edge metal, and from inside at the attic and ceilings. Some things cannot be seen without opening the roof, such as the condition of the underlayment and decking under intact tile. We say plainly what we could and could not confirm.
2. Photos of the findings. You get pictures of what we found, labeled so you know which slope and which detail each one shows. The photos are yours to keep.
3. A written scope with the price before any work starts. It names what gets repaired or replaced, the materials, and whether the job needs a permit.

Two things shape that scope. When a covering comes off, the roof we specify puts a secondary water barrier on the deck before the new roof. And the quarter-roof rule applies. The quarter-roof rule considers how much of a roof system or section is repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period. Above a quarter, the roof covering across that entire system or section generally must be replaced or recovered to meet current code requirements. If that system or section was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition, only the portion being worked on must meet applicable current code requirements. We check which applies before we price. After a big storm, that rule is often what turns a patch into a larger conversation.

What about response times after a hurricane?

We will not promise an arrival time we cannot keep, and you should be wary of anyone who does. After a named storm, every roofer in the county is working through a long list. We call back, ask what is happening inside the house, and schedule based on what we hear.

How do you avoid storm chasers?

After a storm, crews from out of the area knock on doors. A few checks protect you:

• Ask for the Florida roofing license number and look it up with the state.
• Ask for a local address and a history in the county.
• Get the scope and the price in writing before anyone starts.
• Never sign over a claim check or pay in full in cash up front.
• Be careful with anyone who pressures you to sign that day.

Who you are calling

Molsbee Roofing is a Florida certified roofing contractor, license CCC1327429, working in Palm Beach County since 1975. Every repair and re-roof we do carries our lifetime workmanship warranty, and new materials carry the manufacturers' product warranties. We are a GAF Certified Contractor and an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor. When the work is done, we can provide a roof certification letter for your insurer.

For deeper repair work, see our repairs and maintenance service.

Next step

If water is getting in, protect the inside of the house first, then call Molsbee Roofing at (561) 318-8624 or request a free roof inspection. We will photograph what we find and put the scope and the price in writing before any permanent work starts.