Where Should I Look for Signs of Wear and Tear on My Roof?
The roof of your home is an important component to keeping your home safe and ensuring that you are safe and none of your personal items will be destroyed over time either. You will need to be proactive to make sure that you recognize some of the signs of wear and tear on your roof, allowing you to get it repaired or replaced before it gets too old and there is potential for damage along the way.
A good way to do this is to climb up on the ladder, or hire a professional to do it, and then inspect the different areas for deterioration. There are a few places that you can check to see if this is going on including:
The Shingles
Take a look at some of the shingles on top of the roof. Do you notice that there are any missing or curling shingles? This will equate to holes in the roof somewhere, which is going to leave the hoe more vulnerable to the elements around it. This is just one of the signs that you need to look for. Check for uneven discoloration, black streaks, and moss on the roof as well. This shows that the shingles are past their prime.
Storm Gutters
Once you have taken a look at the shingles, it is time to take a look at the storm gutters. You really want to check whether the storm gutters are clogged up at the time or not. Clogged storm gutters are able to trap water along the edges of the roof, which is enough to lead to some decay or mold. Granules in the shingle material in the gutter is another sign that you need to swap them out. These granules are going to be a sign that the shingle is not doing the best and there isn’t a lot of grip left on them any longer.
Chimney Flashing
If you have a chimney in your home, then you will need to take a look around that to see whether it looks good or not. You will notice the chimney flashing is the lining at the bottom of the chimney where it is going to meet with the roof. If you have the flashing slathered with tar or cracked cement, it is time to make some upgrades. Go with something that is high-quality and water-tight to help fit it right to the chimney and prevent leaks. Be careful if you see rusty flashing in place. Rusted flashing is going to invite more leaks into the top of the home and can further damage the structure of the building as well. If anything looks off with the flashing, then it is time for you to get it upgraded before the next rainfall happens.
Wall and Roof Intersections
Now you may need to take a look at the roof and some of the exterior walls to see how those are doing. Check the area where these two places meet the most. If you see any sort of decay, this is not a good sign at all. Damaged or missing step flashing is going to allow water to settle into the meeting point, which can cause more corrosion and will ruin the whole home in the process. You will want to get the roof repaired and look to make sure the side of the home is safe as well.
Attic Ceiling
When you are ready to check out the attic ceiling, you will need to go inside of the home to take a look. Look up and see whether there are any light beams, streaks, or stains on the ceiling. If you see these, it is a sign that the roof is leaking. If you notice that the ceiling is sagging on the top floor or the attic, then this suggests a problem as well and you need to get it fixed as soon as possible. You should do this inspection at least one time a year to catch some of the potential problems as early as possible and make sure that you get the roof fixed before it causes more damage to your home. You will want to check all five points to ensure that there is no hidden damage that is hard to see from another angle. And if you see some of this damage, then calling out the professionals to take a closer look and give you an estimate on repairing or fixing the damage is important.
Getting a Professional Roof Inspection
When you are done with your own inspection, it is time to phone in the professionals and get them to take a look at the home as well. They will be able to complete a more in-depth kind of analysis to ensure that the roof is doing good and may be able to find some issues with the roof that you missed before. With this detailed analysis, the inspector will be able to use an infrared scanner and then give you an inspection report to tell you how the roof is doing and whether it needs some repairs or replacement at all. These roof inspections may cost between $119 to $303 to get done, though there are some technologies that will cause the cost to go up. But the cost can be worth it if it finds a problem and allows you to make some big changes to the roof before damage occurs to the rest of the home.
It is important to take some time to look over the roof of your home to ensure that it looks nice and does not show excessive signs of wear and tear. When you are worried about the roof wearing out or having problems, then it is time to contact our team at Primo Roofing and Solar to help take a look and determine what the next steps should be. Sometimes a repair of one area is the best course of action while other times it is better to replace the whole roof. Trust our professionals to help make this easier for you.