Your home’s roof protects you, your family, and your entire house from nature’s elements. A roof requires regular care and maintenance in order to function properly and protect you for as long as possible. Of course, wear and tear is inevitable, all roofs wear out eventually. Which means you should inspect it at least twice a year and after heavy winds and rain. Some signs that your roof needs replaced are obvious, like water leaking through your ceiling. Others are not as apparent and require a more thorough inspection to diagnose. Here are some telltale warning signs that you should look for.
Curling or Cupping Shingles
Curling is a common issue with roof shingles, some causes include: improper shingle storage or faulty shingles prior to installation, incorrect installation, excessively dry asphalt shingle bases, poor quality materials, or just natural wear. When shingles curl, they are no longer able to keep water from seeping through your roof, which could potentially cause serious structural damage. It is also a good idea to check your roof shingles after extreme temperature changes.
Missing Shingles
Shingles can only protect your roof if they are all intact. Missing shingles create convenient openings, through which water can enter your home. Shingles can be pulled off your roof by strong winds or falling tree branches and can also be broken by repeated freezing and thawing. However, take special note if your shingles come off without any real provocation – if this happens they are definitely worn out and need replaced before causing damage.
Damaged Flashing
Flashing is a layer of metal sheeting, usually made from copper, tin, or aluminum, installed at an angle or joint in your roof, which prevents water from breaching the roof. The most common place to find flashing is around your chimney or sewer vent pipe.
Asphalt roof shingles require “step flashing,” which are individual pieces of flashing covering each shingle and overlapping onto the shingle down slope. This application is usually needed where a sloping roof passes a vertical surface like a chimney. By using an individual piece of flashing for each shingle or row of shingles, a water tight seal can be maintained over a longer period of time, despite daily shingle expansion and contraction from temperature changes. A larger, single piece of metal would crack apart from this expansion and contraction, letting water into the structure.
Some TLC before and after the winter and summer seasons will help prevent out of pocket costs and keep your family and your home protected.
Consult a roof expert before embarking on a maintenance project, or if you are unsure of your roof’s condition. ServiceMaster can help you with your roofing needs.
