Much like keeping up with your health, maintenance is key to a healthy, long-living roof. At minimum, homeowners should have a yearly roof inspection performed by a professional and keep their roof and gutters clean all year. However, a year is a long time and many things can happen in those 12 months between inspections. So to ensure you catch any problems early enough, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out yourself, every now and then, for potential signs of trouble.
Catch A Problem Early To Save Thousands In Repairs
Your roof does one thing, keep your home and everything in it protected from the elements. It does this by routing water away from sensitive areas that can be damaged by water to areas it won’t cause damage. Any debris or other problem along these routes can end up creating large, expensive repairs later on. Catching these things early is imperative to keeping costs as low as possible!
In between roof inspections, especially after storms and between seasons, do a visual check of the interior of your home and as much of the roof as you can see outside from the ground, for any signs of leakage. Caught early, leak repairs can be relatively cheap, maybe a couple of hundred dollars but left untreated, the damage grows over time and can be extremely costly, even devastating if it results in roof failure.
Self Inspections Can Be Done Without Going Onto The Roof!
The roof is a dangerous place, getting up there may not be difficult but staying up there can be. Ask the thousands who end up in the ER each year due to falling off of roofs. Leave that stuff to the professionals who have the training and safety equipment to do it without risking their lives.
Especially if you have an attic and easy access to it, you can perform a fairly effective inspection yourself in between professional inspections without risking your life or health!
1) Inspect the decking in the attic to see if it is sagging or deteriorated.
2) While in the attic, look for any signs of leaking, especially around any vents, chimneys, or other holes in the roof. Signs of leaking including wet-looking spots, sagging, and moisture.
3) If you find any dark spots in the wood, test them to figure out if they are old or new problems. If the spot is dry and hard, then it is likely an old problem that you don’t need to worry about (you can check again after rains if you aren’t sure). If the spot is still wet or soft, then it is a current problem that needs to be fixed and soon.
4) Elsewhere in your home, look for any signs of water damage or leaking in every room. Look for stains on the ceiling or walls especially sagging areas.
If you encounter any of these signs, you likely have a problem and your roof is probably in need of repairs. Contact your local roof contractor for an immediate estimate to avoid potential disaster!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Perform small self-inspections every few months to help ensure your roof stays healthy for years to come!
In Metro Atlanta, call Atlanta Roofing Specialists today at 770-419-2222 for any problems you find and for a free roof inspection! Don’t let a small problem turn into an expensive headache!