The valley of your asphalt shingle roof is likely to wear out quicker than the rest of the roof. When a roofing contractor checks your roof to see if it needs repairs, they'll check the valley carefully. Here's why the roof valley is susceptible to damage and the repairs the roofer might need to do.
Why Roof Valleys Wear Out Quicker
One reason a valley wears out quicker than the rest of the roof is that rain rolls off the rest of the roof to the valley where the water rolls to the downspout. The rain washing over the valley eventually wears away protective granules. With the granules gone, sun damage escalates and the shingles start to crack and leak.
Another cause of leaks in roof valleys is because leaf clumps, twigs, and other debris gets caught and creates a dam. The dam blocks the flow of rain, and water can push under the shingles and start leaking.
The shingles in the roof valley can also simply wear out due to age, and that could be a sign it's time to have your entire roof replaced. However, valley leaks are usually repaired if your roof doesn't need to be replaced yet.
How A Roof Valley Is Repaired
The shingles in a roof valley are applied differently from the rest of the shingles on your roof. Valleys usually have metal flashing, a protective moisture barrier, and shingles that overlap. When the valley leaks, the problem could be with any of these parts.
The roofing contractor needs to remove a few rows of shingles up the slope from the valley to see what's going on and to replace flashing and underlayment. Flashing is usually cut to fit from sheet metal, and it plugs gaps created where roof slopes meet.
The flashing is covered with a water barrier that's cut large enough to apply up the sides of the slope for a few rows of shingles. The moisture barrier covers the flashing and bonds to create a waterproof barrier that stops leaking. Last, the new shingles are applied so rain rolls over the top of them. The new shingles have a lot of granules on them so the valley will have improved protection and could last for many more years.
It's always a good idea to check on your roof valley once it's had a leak to make sure materials used in the repairs don't wear out quicker than the roofing. For instance, adhesives might wear out due to age, crumble, and allow a leak to develop. By working with roofing repair services, you can find and address leaks in your roof valley before the leak causes water damage to your home.
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.