Ensuring the health of your roof is imperative when it comes to keeping your home improvement cost effective. While home owners are always looking for the best ways to increase the value of their home, they often overlook the simpler preventative maintenances.
By being aware of our roofs and their health, we’re potentially saving a lot of money. Here is a list of some of the most frequent roofing problems, as well as suggestions on how to fix them.
1. Safety and Precautions
Climbing on top of the roof to fix a leak as soon as it occurs will only lead to injury and further damage to your roof. The proper thing to do is to avoid quick fixes. Do not attend to the roof if there is rain or snow. Before climbing on the roof, make sure that you are wearing rubber soled shoes to prevent slipping. Always practice the buddy system, and wear a harness.
2. Roof Leaks
Roof leaks are extremely common but not always easy to identify. Use a garden hose to spray in various locations on the roof to find the leak. Do not do this during the winter months, as it is not safe. Because clogged gutters is the most common cause of leakage, check to see if they are clean.
3. Dry Rot
Dry rot is caused by lack of ventilation. If roof repair is in the center of the roof, there is a great possibility that the plywood might crumble. This will lead to cracked and brittle roof shingles, which causes leakage. To prevent this, install a ridge vent by drilling holes in the soffit vents so cool air will push the hot air out.
4. Ice Buildup
Winter makes it easy for ice to build up under the shingles, gutters, and roof membranes. Proper ventilation and ice shields will halt all of these problems. Remember, do not venture out on your roof if it is icy.
5. Inspect and Fix Roof Boots and Other Materials
If the roof boots are dried up they will cause a leak. To fix this, purchase a new roof boot. Faulty installation of shingles and nails play a huge part in roof leaks. Make sure roof valley are properly sealed.
6. The Sun
The sun is thirty two times the size of the earth and is like a ball of fire. Obviously it can be a threat to a roof’s integrity. Keeping an eye on your roof and looking for any weathering can be a huge advantage to you, especially in areas of warmer climes.
Do not be discouraged if the leak cannot be found or the problem fixed. Remember, it’s a process of elimination. Most importantly, remember to exercise safety and caution when investigating your roof. Hiring an expert roof inspector is a good route to go – these professionals know the ins and outs of roofing and will have no incentive to rip you off. In fact, a roof inspector can very well save you from a predatory contractor.
This article was written by Tim Hansen. A wealth of information, Hansen enjoys creating blogs that help others by providing them with information and tips for everyday life. Having done business with the inspectors over at Roof Tech 2000, Tim has found an appreciation for those companies who really strive to make life better for others. He brings this article to people in hopes that they learn something new and useful about the world of roofing.