When you're careful about monitoring your roof for damaged areas, you might look for signs of shingle damage and indications of a roof leak. While monitoring the shingles is important, it's possible for shingle damage to go undetected and lead to problems with the structural support of your roof. That's why it's also important to monitor the rafters and other wood parts of the underside of your roof. Here are signs of rafter damage and the roof repairs that might be needed for a bad rafter.
Signs Of A Bad Roof Rafter
A rafter is a wood support board that's one of a series of boards that support the deck of your roof. The deck is nailed to the rafters, and shingles are nailed to the deck, so the rafters support a lot of weight. If the weight becomes excessive, such as might happen if heavy snow piles up on the roof, a rafter might crack. If you see cracks in one or more rafters, call a roofing contractor to inspect the damage and make repairs.
Besides cracking, rafters can be damaged by water or mold and rot away. When rafters rot and get weak, you might notice your roof sagging in the area. A sagging roof is a serious problem that needs quick attention from a roofer.
Repairs That A Roofer May Need To Do
A residential roof repair contractor should be able to repair rafters in addition to making other roof repairs. Sometimes, your first indication of a bad rafter is when the roofer is repairing shingles or putting on a new roof and spots the problem.
When a rafter is bad, it can't support the weight of your roof. To make repairs, the roofer has to strengthen the rafter. This might be done by adding one or two boards to the sides of the bad rafter. The new boards are nailed to each other and to the roof joists. The new boards then add structural support and help distribute the weight of the roof.
If the old rafter is moldy, the mold might be removed or sealed first so it doesn't keep spreading and making the problem worse. Also, if there is a leak that led to water damage to the rafter, the leak has to be tracked down and repaired. Flashing is a common area for roof leaks, as are bad shingles. The deck under the shingles or flashing might be water damaged too. In that case, the roofer has to repair the deck in addition to repairing the rafter and stopping the leak.
If you're concerned about your roof or rafters, reach out to a professional who provides residential roof repair services.
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.