Regular Roof Inspections and Roof Repair Will Ensure the Interior of your Home Stays Dry
By Mark J. Donovan
|
|
A couple times a year you should inspect your home’s roof, and if necessary, perform roof maintenance. Early fall and mid to late spring are the best times of the year to inspect your roof and to do any roof maintenance. Performing roof maintenance in the early fall ensures that the roof will protect your home during the winter months where snow and ice dams can wreak havoc on roofs. In the spring, again it’s wise to re-inspect the roof to see how it survived the winter.
When conducting roof maintenance make sure to use a proper ladder and shoes. Always position the ladder on solid ground and before actually climbing and walking on the roof inspect it from the ladder first. |
Besides a safety precaution, inspecting a roof initially from the ladder gives you a chance to scan the roof from shingle level so that you can easily observe cupping, warping, or missing shingles.
| When performing any type of roof maintenance try to do it on a cool day so you are less likely to damage the shingles. Also, place your feet carefully on top of an entire shingle tab, versus straddling 2 or more shingles at the same time. Straddling shingles can cause you to damage the ends of them.
Besides looking for damaged or missing shingles, also look for roof flashing that may be damaged or has pulled away from chimneys or the sides of the home. Also, inspect the drip edge and the shingles that overlap it looking for torn or damaged shingles. In addition, look for swelling areas of shingles. |
 |
This could be a sign that water has seeped under the shingles and has caused the roof sheathing to become damaged.
| Also inspect the attic for roof problems. Look for dark black water stains on the back side of the roof sheathing. These are most likely signs of water infiltration from the roof.
In regards to actual roof repair, replace any missing shingles. Similarly if there is roof flashing that has become damaged or loose repair it as well. If the shingles are cupped and warped or the roof sheathing appears damaged, then it’s time to seriously think about re-shingling the entire roof. Note that warped or cupped shingles is a sign of intense heat. If you notice this type of issue, as part of your roof maintenance consider adding more insulation and ventilation in the roof attic. An attic needs proper ventilation, from the soffits located in the roof eaves to the ridge vent or gable vent. If there is inadequate attic ventilation the intense heat in the attic can and will damage the roof shingles. |
 |
For more help on Shingling Your Home’s Roof, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet. The Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet will help to ensure that your roof won’t end up with a blue tarp over it and a dumpster sitting in your yard for weeks as you wait for the roofing contractor to come back and finish roofing your home.
Asphalt Shingle Roofing Cost Estimator
Related Roofing Information
- Use Ice Melt Socks to Remove Roof Ice Dams
- The Benefits of Today’s Metal Roofing
- How to Shingle a Roof
Additional Roofing Resources from Amazon.com
  |
  |
  |
  |
Roofing Price Quotes For FREE, No Obligation!
Fill out our 3-5 minute quick and easy form, and receive a free price quote on roofing from one of our prescreened and licensed roofing contractors. This process is free and there is no obligation to continue once you receive your roofing price estimate.