Roofing in Olympia Heights, Florida

The Census places the median build year in Olympia Heights at 1957. Across Miami-Dade County, the typical home was built around 1980. Nearly all housing units here, 96.5 percent, were built before 1980. By that measure, a good number of original roofs are likely more than 25 years old.

Most homes are single-family detached houses, at 90.8 percent of units, and 84.8 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. A single owner usually makes the roof decision for the whole house. Only 0.3 percent of homes were built in 2010 or later, so newer roof systems are rare here.

Citizens Property Insurance asks for at least five years of remaining useful life on a roof older than 25 years if it is a soft roof such as shingle. For a hard roof such as tile or metal, the threshold is 50 years. If your roof falls in that range, have it inspected and keep the report with your policy papers.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with its peak statistically centered on September 10. Hurricane Irma in 2017 caused major damage to about 1,000 homes in Miami-Dade County, so roof inspections after any season matter.

Miami International Airport records 76.6 percent of its normal yearly rainfall between May and October. The normal annual total there is 67.41 inches. With an average of 10.51 inches, June ranks as the rainiest month.

NOAA's rainfall data for this area shows a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 3.38 inches an hour. A 24-hour rain in a 10-year storm reaches 8.55 inches. Check gutters, flashing and roof penetrations before the wet season begins.