We depend on our roofs to keep the weather out of our homes, and with winter setting in even more firmly, roof problems are the last thing you want to be dealing with. Roof damage is not something that you can afford to ignore, however. If you suspect that you might have a roof problem, then you need to go and check to make sure, if only for your peace of mind.

HOW TO INSPECT YOUR ROOF

Unless you have experience working on a roof, you shouldn’t go up top to do your inspection. Instead, using a pair of binoculars, go outside and take a walk around your house, checking for problems.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Depending on your roof material, look for the following signs that your roof needs work:

Asphalt shingle: Look for missing or torn shingles, as well as shingles that may be loose or are coming loose. Look carefully for signs of rotting, curling, buckling, and blistering in your shingles. Excessive granule loss is another warning sign to heed.

Slate and tile: With slate and tile, look for cracks in the tiles, or actual broken areas, or signs of chipping. Take note of any areas with missing tiles, or where the tiles look to have come loose.

PART I: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A ROOF INSPECTION

Wooden shake or shingles: Look for areas in the shakes or shingles where the wood has split, as well as signs of rotting in the wood. Look also for patches where the shakes or shingles have come loose, or look to be coming loose.

OTHER THINGS TO CHECK

Flashing: Look for cracks or gaps in the caulking around your roof’s flashing, as well as signs of rust or more serious damage on the flashing itself.

Chimney: Check your chimney for a missing or damaged chimney cap.

Moss and lichen: If you have a lot of moss and lichen on your roof, it’s possible that the roof is rotting underneath. Black algae spots, while unsightly, are more of a cosmetic problem.

SIGNS OF WATER PENETRATION

Short of an actual leak, look for dark areas or patcches on the ceilings, peeling paint, damp spots along fireplaces, and water stains on pipes venting the furnace or heater. If any of these are present, water has entered your home and you have a leak in the making.

So you’ve gone and checked your roof for problems. What, exactly, are these signs telling you? Find out in Part II.

PART I: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A ROOF INSPECTION

It’s not enough to know what the signs of possible roof damage are. If you’re going to get an accurate idea of what issues, if any, are present in your roof, then it’s important to be able to connect those signs to the actual roof problems that they lead to. As you inspect your roof, see if there are any telltale signs you can connect to these common roof problems.

FASCIA DAMAGE

The fascia is the horizontal band of material between the edge of the roof and your home’s outer wall, and forms the underside of your roof’s overhang. Typically made from wood or sheet metal, it is where your gutters attach to the roof. While it acts as a barrier against water intrusion, exposure to large amounts of water also means that it’s a prime candidate for water damage, typically due to rot caused by water penetration. Any weakening or damage to the fascia not only serves as an entry point for water intrusion, but can also cause damage to your gutters.

SOFFIT DAMAGE

The area just under the fascia where vents for the attic are typically located is known as the soffit. Cracks in the soffit, as well as the vents themselves, can serve as entry points for water intrusion, resulting in the formation of rot. Insects and small animals can take advantage of such weaknesses in the material to enter or enlarge holes in the material and end up nesting in the weakened structure.

PART II: WEAK POINTS: THE RESULTS OF ROOF DAMAGE

FLASHING DAMAGE

Flashing is usually made from aluminum or galvanized steel and serves to seal roof edges and areas where the roof covering is interrupted, such as with chimneys and roof vents. Damaged or deteriorating flashing, as well as missing flashing, or flashing that has come loose, provides areas where water can enter.

GUTTER DAMAGE

The biggest cause of problems with gutters and downspouts is the accumulation of debris; leaves, twigs, and other similar items can clog up gutters and downspouts and cause water to accumulate. The added weight can cause gutters to sag and pull away or even detach from the fascia. Needless to say, such deformations in the gutters will prevent water from properly draining from the roof.

The time to get work done on your roof is now; there’s no time like the present. More on this in Part III.

PART II: WEAK POINTS: THE RESULTS OF ROOF DAMAGE

If you’ve determined that your roof is in need of repair, then it’s important to get the work scheduled to take care of the problem. When to have the work done, though? No doubt you’ve heard that roofers are busiest at certain times of the year, or that it’s better to have work done on your home at certain times of the year. Is there a particular time that you should take advantage of to get the most out of your roof repair?

A HOLE IN YOUR DEFENSES

While it is true that certain times of the year are more conducive to having work done on your roof, letting the roof stay damaged in order to wait for the “right time” is the wrong thing to do. Consider that, for as long as the problem goes unsolved, you and everyone else in your home will be exposed to both the elements and the effects of the problem. If your roof is already compromised, then you’re leaving yourself and your family exposed to the environment.

THE TIME TO GET YOUR ROOF FIXED IS NOW

If you already have a problem with your roof, then choosing not to do anything about the problem is a virtual guarantee that the problem will get worse. The same environmental issues that created the problem in the first place can only serve to aggravate the already-existing problem. By the time you finally get around to dealing with the issue, what started out as a small problem and what could have been an easy fix may have ballooned into a much larger problem requiring more extensive repairs and expenses.

PART III: NOW IS THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT…

ESCALATING HEALTH RISKS

With water intrusion into your home comes the risk of developing an infestation of rot and / or mold. Not only does this affect the quality of the air you breathe, triggering allergies and exposing you to unsafe breathing conditions, there is also the risk of physical injury. Rot and mold undermine your home’s structure; given enough time, all or part of your home could end up collapsing because of weakened supports, posing an inherent danger to people in your damaged home.

PART III: NOW IS THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT…

Peak RoofingContractors, Inc

6593 Merchant Place, Warrenton, VA 20187

(703) 753-4585

PeakRoofingContractors.com