The roof on your house is designed to protect your home and your family for ages. Unfortunately, like everything else in this world, nothing lasts forever. Over time, it’s likely to encounter some wear and tear. The sooner you pay attention and correct your roof damage, the better your chances of increasing its longevity. But here’s the problem, how do you even know how to check for damages on your roof? What signs should you be on the look-out for? Stick around to find out.
Leakage
Leakage during a storm is one of the most apparent signs that your roof has been suffering. Leaks can result from missing shingles, broken roof tiles, or rot. If you detect leakage in your Royal Oak roof, don’t hesitate to call a roofing contractor for immediate repair. Even the smallest leaks let in moisture into the inner layers of the roofing, weakening the structural integrity of your roof. The longer you wait before fixing the roof, the more expensive you expect the damage expenses to be.
Deteriorating attic
Rot on the attic wood, mold presence, wet insulation, and other signs of water damage after a storm is a clear indication of a potential roof leak. If you look close enough, you might see water stains, black streaks on the ceiling and walls that indicate roof damage. Ignoring these signs of damage could be the last stroke for your roof during the next storm making the problem worse.
Broken or missing shingles
During your routine roof inspections, look out for any missing or broken shingles. The severity of the damage or missing shingles highly dictates whether to go for a roof repair or entire roof replacement. If the repair costs of replacing the broken and missing shingles equates to more than 40% of the roof’s value, your roofer might recommend a roof replacement instead.
Your roof is aging
With proper roof maintenance practices such as cleaning and timely repairs, you could enjoy mint roof conditions for years. Unfortunately, aging catches up eventually, and no amount of repair and fixing will redeem its aesthetic touch. For instance, the general service of asphalt roofing is about twenty years. After that, its effectiveness as a roof diminishes quickly. It’s therefore essential to replace your roof after giving you the service it promised in Royal Oak.
Escalating energy bills
Unknown to most homeowners, light and water aren’t the only things that leak through passages and cracks in your roof. Heat and air are notorious for escaping through the same cracks in your roof. Temperature leaks force your HVAC system to run harder to make up for the breach. If you notice escalated energy bills, your roof could be a potential suspect. Have your roofer inspect for air and heat leaks from your roof and repair the holes to prevent further damage.
Sagging ceiling and roof-line
Another obvious sign of roof damage is a sagging roof-line and ceiling. It is most evident after a storm. Once water pools in a particular spot on your roof for long, it subjects the weight to the layers of the roofing system, forcing it to warp. This explains the asymmetrical look of a sagging ceiling and roof-line. A professional roofer should inspect the degree of damage and recommend an urgent roof repair or replacement practice.
Dents on the roof and venting systems
A quick visual inspection will help you identify unusual dents on the roof, which weren’t there in the beginning. Hail can cause dents and, in the worst-case scenario, bend and crush the shingles and vents. Fallen trees and branches after a storm are also notorious for leaving dents and crashing into the roof. Have these parts replaced, and the falling trees cut to prevent further incidences of such a kind.
Loose and broken gutters and downspouts
Gutters are integral components of the roofing system. Your gutter system redirects water and protects other housing structures from water damage. Loose, rusting, and broken gutter systems can pose significant damage to your siding in particular. You might want to tighten the gutters, replace and fix the worn-out components.
Curling shingles
Typically, they emanate from improper roof installation. If the shingles bulge at the center or curl at the edges, they create entry points for water to sip into the inner layers of the roof. Consider changing the curled shingles and replace them with correctly sized shingles.
Have you spotted any of these signs on your roof in Royal Oak? Don’t wait any longer, call in the professionals to help you decide whether the damages require a replacement or repair.