HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The phones rang off the hook at South Florida-based roofing companies on Friday because of recent heavy rain.
At Paul Bange Roofing, they said they were three times busier than normal.
"We normally get about 20 to 30 calls a day," said owner Paul Bange. "Now, we are getting between 80 and 100."
Although it sounds like a good problem for a business, Bange explained that there are many repairs that they can't get to.
"It is frustrating because you may start a job and then the job is open and another customer expects you to be at their job the next day but you didn't finish the job the day before because of the rain," Bange said.
More work means buying more roofing materials, so staying on top of inventory is key and this kind of heavy rain also means a lot of emergency calls.
"If you are on the books with us and you have an emergency and it is getting really bad, we will come out and do a temporary until we can do the roof, but the best thing is a tarp," Bange said. "If a roofer can't get to you right away and a tarp doesn't work for you, you can try some sort of sealant, like R-400, and if you spot a leak during a storm, the best advice is get a bucket and let it leak so you don't lose your ceiling."