If you want to know the main reason for home
or business roof repairs, ask the people who deal with roofs day
after day, year after year – ask the roofing contractors.
They will tell you the number one reason for roof repairs is
not damage from a major weather event. According to roofing
companies, the number one reason for roof repairs is the fact
that home and business owners simply ignore their roof until
there’s a major problem with major expenses.
You should treat your roof like you treat your car. You (or
someone) changes the oil, the fluids, the filters, the tires
and so on, so your car serve you well. Waiting for the engine
to blow or the transmission to quit, then fix it, is way more
expensive than a little preventative maintenance.
Your roof is similar to your car. Every part of your home or
business receives wear and tear every day – your carpets,
doors, faucets, toilets, crawlspaces, attic and roof. But because
you use your carpets, faucets and like items every day, you
know when they need repair. Items you don’t use hands-on
every day, like your roof, are still receiving wear and tear
and should be inspected every six months.
Here are some simple ways to make sure small roof/attic
problems don’t lead to leaks, mold, structural damage,
and costly repairs:
• Set a date every six months to inspect
your roof. After winter wear and heading into autumn
are good times.
• Start with the inside of your house
or business. Go through every room and look for water
spots on the ceilings and walls. Take a flashlight and look
inside closets and behind furniture for water damage or mold.
And remember, there is no harmless watermark. You need to figure
out where the dripping is coming from. If it’s a roof
problem, that small watermark could eventually lead to dry rot,
mold or pest infestation. Better to fix this small problem now,
before it comes a budget busting problem.
• Inspect your attic. Be careful
where you walk so you don’t bust through the ceiling.
Take a flashlight and inspect the ridge beams, rafters and sheathing
for water damage. Mark any spots you see with chalk to determine
if they’re growing. If so, determine exactly where the
water is leaking through the roof and repair it.
• Inspect the roof from outside.
From a distance, assess the condition of your roof’s surface,
flashing and eaves. Make sure all parts of the roof are straight
and smooth. Any sagging indicates a structural problem. Sometimes
it’s simply because a beam was put in the wrong way, other
times it a bigger problem. This may be a little tricky for the
average home or business owner to fix.
• Inspect the roof close-up.
The less you walk on your roof the better, but doing a close-up
inspection will alert you to broken or missing shingles; worn
down flashing around the chimney, plumbing vents and attic vents;
and any damage to gutters and downspouts. All of these items
need to be water-tight to prevent leaks.
• Know when you’re over your head.
You’ll be able to fix a majority of small roof repairs,
but you should think twice before taking on bigger, more complex
jobs where you could cause more damage. If you know someone
who is mechanically inclined, ask them for an opinion. If it
appears that it may need a special expertise to fix the job,
gather a few estimates from reputable roofing companies and
fix the problem while it’s still small.
Remember, the bitter of not inspecting your roof properly lingers
a lot longer than the sweet taste of putting it off to do something
fun.
