Checking To See If You Need Roof Repairs
According to the National Roofing Contractors Association, you should plan on doing a quick inspection of your roof twice per year, once in the fall and once in the spring. If you check on your roof regularly, you will notice things before they become a significant issue. Let’s take a look at some tips to see if you need to consult with a roofing contractor for a new roof or repairs to an existing one.
Check out how things look in your attic
When you do a quick attic inspection in the fall and spring, this is when you are looking for leaks and other problems. Keep an eye out for stains or streaks in the woodwork. This will indicate that at some point during the year, you had a leak in your roof. You should also check your vents and windows in your attic to make sure that these aren’t the sources of leaks.
Check your roof after a storm
When you are doing your biannual roof inspection, you should also physically inspect your roof. Shingles should lie flat on the surface. Sometimes, after a storm, shingles can bend or blow off the roof entirely. An angled shingle is a problem because it can interfere with proper flow of water off your roof. If shingles are missing, they need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Check the trim and seal around chimneys and vents
These are prime candidates for leaks and other areas. Typically, you might have a crack in the seal around a plumbing vent, and the leak can expand into the wood underneath your shingles. In older homes, the trim and seal around chimneys and vents could be made of tar, which will degrade over time.
Make sure that the roof decking is good
Roof decking is the material that holds your roof to your rafters. The most common material for this is plywood. Other materials include strand board. These will generally last a minimum of twenty years. However, humidity, rain, and other materials can deteriorate your roofing deck. On older roofs, you will see that the roofing deck will sometimes be brittle and break when shingles are being removed. Most of the time, your roof deck will be in good shape. Most of the time, you will be able to see your roof deck in the attic if you don’t have insulation covering it.
Get a reputable contractor’s opinion
Cost Plus Construction will give you honest, transparent information about your roof. We’ll look at your budget and present you with all the best options. We work with the best materials and prices available on the market. You will get financial reporting as your project progresses.
With your roof, we don’t cut corners. We will work with your budget and come up with a roofing plan that adds value to your home.