Roof conditions and why they matter!
The first line of defense!
Almost like skin to the body, your roof is the first line of defense against the elements. It’s designed to protect your home from heat, rain, snow, hail, debris, etc., and when your roof is compromised, the entire house is compromised. If your roof is defective and damaged, it won’t be long until the rest of the house is deteriorating. Periodically monitoring the health of your roof will increase your chances of preventing a huge problem down the road.
Top ways to detect an issue:
- Surface Inspection: If possible, go over every square foot of your roof, and check for broken/cracked/missing shingles or tiles, or whatever material you use to cover your roof. If it’s a flat roof, look for bubbles in the membrane, or water ponding in a specific area. Look at dark spots, and stains that have begun forming. Any defects should be corrected as soon as possible, to prevent further deterioration.
- Flashing: Whenever there’s more water located on the roof, or passing through an area, there’s more of a chance of it entering into the roof system (underlayment, roof decking, attic, etc.) This is especially true for your roof valleys. The way roofers protect these vulnerable areas is by a method called “flashing”, in which large metal strips are used to ensure that no water will penetrate and touch the underlayment. There are articles online that can go over some basic ways to inspect flashing, but it’s always best to have an inspector or roofer come out and take a look at it if you’re not sure.
- Interior inspection: Check for any stains or wet spots you detect on your ceilings. If you do see one, don’t wait around until it gets bigger. Even a small stain could be an indication to a huge problem. Consider having an inspector check your ceilings with an infrared camera to see temperature differences, and then validate any cold spots with a moisture reader. Investigate as thoroughly as possible to find out where those leaks are coming from, and then repair as needed.