Checking Your Roof for Damage
When your roof starts approaching the end of its expected lifespan, it might need more frequent repairs. Since your roof may have gone many years without any problems, you may not know what to look for when your roof has damage. You don't have to climb up on your roof yourself to spot signs your roof needs repairs. Instead, you can often see signs of roof trouble from the ground or inside your house.
Discover the signs that your roof may need help from a roofer.
Check the Inside of Your House
Start by looking in your attic for signs of water damage. You might notice your insulation is wet, or you may see water stains on the rafters. You might also see mold growing.
If water from the attic dripped to the floor, you might see water stains on the ceiling below. You might even see stains on the walls. The drywall might bubble or warp as well. Paint might peel, and your living space could smell musty due to the extra moisture in your house.
Excess moisture can also attract bugs, so if you see an increase in bugs, notice a musty odor, or have power bills that are higher than usual due to ruined insulation, consider you could have a roof leak.
Finally, if you see rain leaking or hear it dripping in your house when it rains, call a roofer to find the leak and repair it before water damage drives up the cost of your repairs.
Check the Outside of Your House
Take a look at your siding, especially near the roof. If it has mold growing on it, that could be a sign of a roof leak. You can also check around the lower part of your roof for holes and rotting wood. Birds or rats can peck or chew holes through rotted fascia boards right underneath your roof.
If you're comfortable climbing a ladder, look inside the gutters for granules. Granules do shed from the shingles, but if you see a lot of them, that could be a sign your roof is old or that they're being scraped off by tree branches. A sign of this is when the shingles under the branches look darker than the others because so many granules are lost.
Finally, check for trees that hang over your roof. The branches may seem high enough that they're not a problem, but when branches are weighed down with rain and the wind blows hard, the branches may bend down and sweep across the shingles and cause damage.
Check the Roof
Finally, look over your roof as best as you can from the ground. Look for shingles that are twisted, missing, have cracks, or are curled. Check the flashing too. If it looks rusted or loose, it might need to be replaced. If you have binoculars, look for the rubber boot around the pipe vent to see if the boot is cracked or crumbling and letting rain leak through.
You can also use your binoculars or a drone to look your roof over for damage while you stand safely on the ground. Look for anything unusual. Signs of roof problems include sagging, holes, dents, or bruises. If you see shingles that have a different look from other shingles on your roof, you may want a roofer to check them to see if there is a problem.
If you think you have roof damage or if you're just concerned about the condition of your old roof, contact HomeTeck Roofing & Remodeling. We can repair or replace your roof so your home is protected from water damage.
