The roof is one component that provides a house’s primary structural strength. It acts as a source of protection from the outside elements and is built to withstand abuses and harsh conditions. Still, it requires routine care and upkeep for adequate functionality and extended longevity.
Even a well constructed, properly installed roof will suffer from wear and tear, ultimately giving in to age and deterioration. In order to prolong this for an extended lifespan is to enlist the services of a trusted, reliable, and experienced roofing contractor for inspections in the spring and fall and after any heavy storms.
These services will help detect potential defects with the roof or damages that need to be corrected, plus assist with determining when the roof reaches the end of its lifespan, making it ready for a replacement.
Too often, the roof is an aspect of the household that gets neglected when it comes to regular maintenance. Some homeowners only contact a roofer if they experience a problem, but there could be extensive damage by that point. Let’s look at warning signs your roof might be deteriorating.
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Do You Include Your Roof With Routine Household Maintenance
Defects and damages to a roof can be diminished with routine care and maintenance, including scheduled inspections in the spring and fall, as well as following severe storms. Heavy wind can be detrimental to shingles, while the “roof membrane and the flashing” face potential damage from ice accumulation.
It’s common for defects to go unnoticed until the new season comes in, but problems can be readily found with standard inspections.
Learn signs that your roof is damaged at https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/silent-signs-you-have-a-damaged-roof/ and consider these warning signs that the roof is beginning to deteriorate from a lack of repairs.
â—Â Â Â Â Â Â Shingles are cupping or curling
Usually, shingles develop curling from normal wear over time, poor install, subpar materials, inadequate storage before install, and on. When this happens, the material can no longer prevent water from seeping beneath the surface, ultimately causing structural damage.
â—Â Â Â Â Â Â Shingles blow off the structure
There’s no protection for the roof if the shingles are missing. These areas create openings for water to seep into the household. Usually, a cause for the shingles to be pulled from the roof or break is heavy winds and storms, tree branches too close to the structure, or if there’s continued freezing weather that then thaws.
If the shingles go missing in minimal conditions or lack a reason, the roofer will determine if these were poorly installed or are grossly worn. If the roof is still relatively young, these were more likely installed incorrectly.
That could have already created some defects with the potential for water to have seeped beneath them.
â—Â Â Â Â Â Â You have a sagging roof
The structure could be deteriorating or growing weak if you notice it begin to sag, meaning the installation was likely inadequate or it’s withstanding too much weight. When there’s an accumulation of ice or snow on the surface, removing this, if possible, is essential, relieving the weight from the roof.
The roofing contractor won’t be able to make repairs for a sagging roof; this would need to be replaced and done immediately. With this condition, the possibility is high that the structure will eventually collapse, likely sooner than later.
â—Â Â Â Â Â Â Take into consideration the roof’s age
The type of roofing material will dictate the lifespan of the structure. With adequate care and maintenance, it’s suggested that a roof comprising asphalt shingles will endure roughly 25 years before there needs to be a new roof.
If the roofer installed your current roof over the existing roof previously, with new shingles sitting on top of the old shingles, the structure’s life span wouldn’t be nearly what it’s supposed to be.
Sometimes roofing contractors will try to save time, effort, and material, plus give you an incredible price, but the work is less than quality and doesn’t fix the issue; in fact, it creates more of a problem and expense down the road.
â—Â Â Â Â Â Â Your energy bills are soaring compared to what’s standard
There can be a number of reasons for high energy bills but a leaking, deteriorating roof will let the best air out and the worst air in. When you notice extreme bills, one call should be to your trusted roofing contractor to see if problems are happening with the structure.
A lot can happen over a six-month span in between inspections, especially if wildlife like squirrels are getting on the surface, creating defects. These critters can be exceptionally detrimental to a roof, making it essential to trim tree branches away from the roof, limiting access to them. Click for details on squirrel damage to roofing.
The expert will also be able to look inside the attic to see any problems with the home’s interior. When there’s inadequate ventilation, this can result in these issues plus create an ideal environment for mold and mildew to grow.
Final Thought
As a homeowner, the care and upkeep of the roof will primarily involve you peering onto the roof with a set of binoculars from the ground in an effort to remain safe. The primary resource for maintenance should be a roofing contractor performing preventive measures roughly twice each year in the fall and spring.
The expert should also be enlisted to thoroughly go over the surface following a heavy storm or harsh wind conditions to ensure there were no damages. Another time you want to enlist assistance is when heavy accumulations of ice or snow sit on the surface.
This must be removed to avoid the structure sagging from the weight and pressure. Once the roof begins to sag, a replacement will be needed soon since the integrity has already been compromised.
When adequate inspections are done routinely, a trusted, credentialed contractor can detect minor repairs and damages, keeping these corrected to avoid the possibility of major problems down the road. This will ensure the optimum efficiency of the structure and an extended lifespan.
