For many homeowners, roof problems tend to strike a panic that is unrivaled by any other feature or the house. Whether it’s water leaking in the attic, sunlight shining through the floorboards, or enduring the burden of another severe winter, it’s important to always be aware of the state of your roof before a complication can reach the point of no return. This is why taking a ‘better safe than sorry’ approach is so crucial when it comes to roof maintenance, because even a minor setback could turn into a multi-thousand dollar investment before you know it. You never know what can happen in situations like this, especially if you underestimate the level of damage within a property, which is why it is important to research all about public liability insurance to protect you from any accidents or damage.
To avoid potential disaster, here are seven common roof problems that indicate you should call a residential roofing professional as soon as possible:
1) Leaking
Arguably the biggest signal that you need roofing help quickly is leaking water coming through the roof. Whether it’s gushing water beginning to flood the attic or slight drips making their way through the floorboards, leaking is a problem that will only get worse the longer you wait to get it checked out. While leaking doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to replace the entire roof, having a residential roofer come by to assess the severity of the leaking will not only help you gauge a temporary solution, but also give you longer term options so you can avoid this nagging scenario for many years to come.
2) Shingle Damage
Another common factor that heeds a call for help is shingle damage. It’s easy to go up on your roof and see that your shingles need repair work, but knowing exactly what the source of the damage is as well as understanding the proper solution to fixing the shingles is a whole other aspect to addressing the problem. Having a roofing professional stop by to give a second opinion will help you comprehend what the source of any shingle curling or buckling is, as well as whether the severity of lost granules signals your shingles are past their life expectancy.
3) Faulty Roof Valleys
These changes in direction or elevation on your roof often host areas of complications and damage that can easily go unnoticed to the untrained eye. Roof valleys can be home to a variety of problems. If leaves or debris accumulates in a roof valley for a long period of time, water can easily build up and lead to significant leaking. Roof valleys can also be extremely vulnerable to rust development, which can lead to deterioration over time if not quickly detected.
4) Chimney Flashing
Chimneys are often the most overlooked component to the roof, simply because it can be difficult to detect any complications with them. The flashing of a chimney are either sheets of metal or roof cement or tar that is installed to keep water out, and unless you’re a trained roofing professional, it’s tricky to know when it’s time to get new flashing installed. Having a residential roofer take a look at your chimney can help detect early signs of moisture buildup or rotting that could eventually result in replacing your entire chimney and if you do decide to change your chimney, you might want look into getting something like chimney cowls for gas fires as a way to guard your chimney as it can help to keep things from getting into your chimney from the outside.
5) An Aging Roof
If you’re unsure of how old your roof is, chances are it’s old enough to start needing some repair work. The general consensus is that a roof should be replaced every twenty to twenty-five years, and having a residential roofer handy to evaluate the age and condition of your roof can keep you aware of its overall condition and prepare you in case an entire replacement is necessary.
6) Bleeding Daylight
It may be fairly simple to spot daylight leaking in through the roof, but knowing the degree of repair work necessary to address the problem might be a bit trickier. A residential roofer can detect whether light will seep in through your roof just by walking over it, and also be able to tell whether the cracks in the floorboards may be due to extreme moisture exposure or damaged shingles.
7) Gutter Damage
Gutters can be delicate to assess damage, basically because either a routine unclogging can fix a problem or more intricate handywork is warranted to address rapid decay. Calling a residential roofer whenever you begin to notice leaking or deterioration in your gutters will help you get a better understanding of the root of the problem, so you can build up your line of gutter defense for the future and avoid further complications. This can easily be prevented as long as the guttering is kept clean of dirt to reduce the amount of pressure. There are various companies who will offer this cleaning service but ultimately you’re going to need a commercial pressure washer to complete this type of job. Sometimes, your gutter can present problems without being broken or having a build-up of dirt. Clogs are likely in gutters, especially in the fall when leaves are falling off the trees, and in many cases, into your gutter. In this case, simply looking into Thebestleafblowers.com, who have accessories to make clearing your gutter from leaves an easy task, depletes any gutter related roof issues you may be encountering. Following this advice will keep you clear from any roof problems in the long-term!