Common Roof Problems

When you own your own home, maintaining the quality of your roof is very important. It is possible that just small issues with the roof can quickly grow into much larger problems. These situations can then cost you hundreds, if not tens of thousands of dollars to fix. This is why you need to stay on top of any possible problems with your roof and know what to look for. When you notice an issue developing, you just need to make a quick phone call and the professionals are able to come out and service the situation. From there, your roof maintains its quality and you don’t have to take out a large loan, just to pay for the more expensive damage, had you failed to do anything about the small problems with your house’s roof.

Ice damage is a very common problem for houses that sustain prolonged snowfall over a long period of time. While just snow usually isn’t going to cause much of a problem, if the snow melts and develops ice and then is snowed over, the situation can turn into a rather serious problem. The ice can essentially create an ice dam, blocking up water on the roof. This dammed water is then just going to sit and push under the shingles of the roof, eventually causing the roof to grow soft, develop mold and cause all sorts of problems on the interior of your home. Of course, there are times where you just are not able to avoid the weather, but by having the proper ventilation, insulation and underlaying under your shingles, your home is going to be protected.

Many homes, especially older homes, were built without a saddle around the chimney. This is a small roof behind the back of the chimney that pushes water to the sides of the chimney, instead of building up directly behind it. Chances are you don’t know if you have a saddle or not around the chimney, but with a single phone call, it is possible to have your roof inspected for general maintenance and to see if there is a saddle present. It isn’t time consuming at all to have a saddle installed, which in turn can correct this problem.

It is important to have your roof inspected, as there are some signs and issues you just are not going to see from the ground, and even if you have excellent weather and no snow, you can develop problems. A simple discoloration in some of the shingles on your roof can point to a serious problem and possible mold under the shingles. On top of this, there might be curling taking place around the shingles, which allows moisture into the underside of the shingles. All of these issues are problems you can’t really spot on your own. It is possible to step back and try to inspect the roof with a pair of binoculars, but even with this, you can only see so much of the roof. Instead, just bring in the professionals.