Is Your Roof Healthy?

Leaking roof? Water damage? Higher utility costs? All of these things could be indications that you have a serious problem that needs to be addressed with Alpharetta roof repairs. There might be any number of issues that should be fixed sooner than later, no matter what type of material was used during the installation process.

While it’s true that some materials are predisposed to last longer than others, all roofing material is subject to damage under certain conditions where the levels of wear and tear are increased due to environmental impacts such as weather or surrounding trees and brush. Both of these can make your roof wear down prematurely.

But in order to prevent some of the most common wear and tear issues you should implement dedicated maintenance practices to help preserve your roofing and allow the materials you chose to place on your home to provide you with the value you expected when you selected them. That also includes making routine inspections and checking that all of the important components of your roof are in good working order.

This is even more critical for those homes located in regions that do see higher levels of inclement weather as heavy precipitation and high winds can dole out some serious punishment to your roofing on a yearly basis. These impacts can also affect the health of your roof.

Healthy Roofing

As you may have garnered by now, inspections are extremely important. We suggest that you inspect your roofing at least once a year. Take a good long look by getting up on the roof (carefully!) and checking out all of the essential components. You should do this after a heavy storm hits your area as well, because branches and other debris from trees and brush can fall on the roof and cause damage.

When you climb up on the roof, explore every inch closely and look out for the following signs of damage that need repair in order to restore the health of your vital roofing materials:

Shingles

Damaged shingles should never be allowed to remain on the roof for long periods of time. This could result in further damage to the roof and the sections underneath. Check all of your shingles for cracks or fractures, see if there are any that have been broken in half. Curled shingles are also a major problem as are any shingles that have gone missing for whatever reason.

When your shingles are in disrepair your roof and your home are exposed to the elements. If your shingles aren’t protecting your home, they are simply not doing their job and need to be fixed soon.

Water Damage

Dark or discolored stains on the walls or ceiling of the home are surefire signs of water damage. Even worse, if your drywall or ceiling are slouching or sagging in any areas inside the home you have a serious water damage issue. First determine where the water is coming from, in most cases it’s the roof that is the culprit.

This is a tell-tale indication that your roof is NOT healthy and you need to fix that leak or leaks as fast as possible.

Energy Costs

Have you noticed that you are paying higher electricity bills lately? It could be due to your roof letting your expensive climate-controlled air seep outside and forcing your HVAC system to run longer than necessary just to keep you and your family comfortable.

You should do a diagnosis of the home to see where your air leaks are coming from and if it’s not the windows or doors, you can bet it’s likely the roof.

Mold and Mildew

Moisture is one of your home’s biggest enemies. It can not only degrade your building materials but promote the growth of mold and mildew that can make it unsafe to live in your house. When you inspect your roof be sure to keep a close eye out for any signs of mold growth.

If you don’t clear that out sooner than later, the moisture allowing it to proliferate could cause further damage to your roof materials and the elements underneath.

Missing Components

It’s not just the shingles that can go missing. There are other elements of a roof that must remain intact in order to remain healthy. That includes the granules of your shingles, these are vital for protecting your shingles from the potentially damaging impacts of the weather.

The flashing of your roof should also be intact and undamaged. Flashing is the material that joins your roof to other components like a chimney or a skylight. When the flashing is missing, that can allow water to penetrate the roof and seep into the house possibly causing water damage and mold growth.

Gutters

While you’re up there, check the gutters. When these are clogged and overflowing debris it’s impossible for them to do their job of moving water away from the roof during a storm. Clogged gutters will keep water on the roof and that, of course, could lead to a leak and water damage and mold, and you know the drill by now.

So, check for debris in the form of leaves, branches, sticks, dead animals, and other things that could fall on your roof and find their way into the gutters.

Clear the Debris

The gutters aren’t the only place where you might find debris from nearby trees and brush. The roof could have these things lying upon it for who knows how long. But the trouble is, anything that drops on your roof could damage the shingles and reduce the life span of those materials. Even allowing them to sit there for long periods of time could negatively impact the roofing.

Nails

This hardware is important for the proper installation of your roofing but they can start to come loose and be exposed over time. When this happens, the holes in which the nails have been driven can create small crevices through which water can and will leak into the house.