Roof damage to your home is a serious condition that can lead to extensive damage to the outside and moisture damage to the inside. Along with the primary damage, you might end up with mold and mildew growing inside spaces within your home that can go unnoticed for weeks. But with the right prevention and inspections, you can keep this type of roof damage managed, and being diligent is the key. Here are some tips to help you spot and remedy roof damage to your home before it causes extra damage.
Complete Your Own Inspection
As a homeowner, you are not completely kept from doing your own home inspections. There is a great deal you can look for and find without even leaving the safety of the ground. For example, look at the surface of your roof and its appearance. Damaged shingles will appear darker in color, have peeling corners and edges, or be missing in places, revealing the tar paper beneath the shingles. Usually roof damage occurs on the side facing the sun directly, so check these sides of your roof most carefully.
You can also inspect your roof for hail damage and excessive wearing of the shingles by watching where the gutters drain from the roof. If you see large amounts of shingle granules, this is a sign that your shingles are aging or have sustained damage from hail and may need to be replaced soon. If your home has slate shingles, you can look for broken, cracked, and missing shingles, as these conditions can be easy to spot from the ground.
Watch For Winter Damage
Just because your home's roof is covered with a layer of snow in the winter does not mean it is protected from any type of winter damage. Winter snow and ice can put your roof at risk of ice dams and the damage they cause by lifting your shingles and separating them from the roofing. This can also lead to moisture seeping down into your roof and into your attic space.
Look for a layer of ice along the edge of your roof, usually where icicles form. A layer of ice along the edge of your roof indicates the formation of an ice dam and is a big cause of roof damage that you usually don't notice until spring when it melts and the interior moisture leaks begin.
Anytime you find signs of damage and want to hire a pro to look at your roof and its shingles, underlayer, and decking, a professional inspector will complete the task for you thoroughly. They will be able to provide recommendations to make the needed repairs. Call someone like a slate roofing repair professional if you have a slate roof, and a different kind of professional if you have a different kind of roof.
When you develop a roof leak, you don't have time to ignore it. Issues with leaks can cause problems as simple as incoming water and as wide-ranging as mold accumulation inside your home, which is why you should never let an issue sit. However, if you aren't careful, you could develop problems with roofing that is simply open to the elements, allowing rain and snow to enter your home, melt, and contribute to problems like mold growth. On this blog, you can learn more about the kinds of roofing issues that you could be faced with, and what to do about them.