Do you make a point of inspecting your home’s roof every six months? If you do not, you should. Of course, no inspection will prove very useful, if the person conducting that particular procedure does not know what to look for. That is why this blog post highlights the things that a roof-inspector should examine most closely.

If you are the inspector, you must look for damage caused by weather, rodents or trees.

Weather can affect the caulking around structures such as the chimney, any skylight and any on-roof vent. As you look at the caulking material on such structures, study the sky-pointing structure as well. Is it straight, or has it become tilted in some manner?
Weather can also affect the tar that seals each shingle to the roof’s surface. Hence, problems with the tar can diminish the strength of that seal. The weakened seal can no longer do a good job of holding shingles on the roof. Consequently, a roof-inspector should look for lose shingles.
Obviously the force from a heavy tree limb can damage a roof. Still, do not overlook the damage that can be done by a group of leaves. Those can collect in a gutter and make that exterior part of the house heavy. As a result, the gutter could separate from the building’s wall.
Try to look for evidence of rodents even before you are unlucky enough to note their damaging effects. Have an eye out for any tiny footprints. Rodents eat food that is held by their tiny paws. Consequently, their paws get dirty. Since no rodent uses napkins, that animal’s dirty paws can leave a tell-tale footprint.

Check also for signs of inadequate insulation

Tell-tale changes in a roof’s shingles can signal problems with the home’s insulation. For example, a roof-inspector may find far more than one curling or crunching shingle. A different change might even be seen from the street. Of course, the smart homeowner would want to inspect it from a higher location.
Whenever a large group of shingles has altered its shape, the roof might begin to buckle. This should send a strong warning to the homeowner. The materials that are supposed to be insulating the home have failed to carry out their intended job. The buckled roof serves as evidence of that unfortunate failing.

How to prevent unnecessary damage

True, you have no control over the weather. Still, you can do your part to see that you home has adequate insulation. In addition, any time that you hire a roofers in Menlo Park, especially one that will be constructing an addition, hire a certified contractor.