One of the most essential components of your house is the roof; you should handle it with care. This is because any damage to your roof can lead to some unwanted consequences, warns Envy Property Management. The dangers of a damaged or leaky roof include:
- Damage to structural integrity – if your roof is leaking, the wood and other supports will get soaked with water over time. When this happens, the wood becomes rotten. Prolonged leaks will also damage fascia boards, ceiling joists, exterior trims, rafters, and wall framings.
- Mold – Mold grow where there is sufficient moisture. Roof leaks will provide a suitable medium for mold to thrive. This will not only be unsightly, but unhealthy because mold can cause allergies, respiratory diseases, and even cancer.
- Slips-and-fall hazards – Roof leaks will result in puddles of water on the floor. These puddles can cause slips and falls, which could lead to injuries.
- Fire hazards – You may have electrical cables in your ceiling or attic. Roof leaks will result in electric sparks that can lead to fire hazards.
- Increased utility bills – Roof leaks can damage the insulation in your attic. This will make your house to lose its insulating properties. As a result, your HVAC will be overworked, and the energy bills will increase.
For these reasons, homeowners seek to prevent leaks or damages to their roofs. The tips below will help you to avoid roof leaks.
Regular inspection of the roof and attic
Roof leaks can be elusive sometimes. When you start seeing signs of roof leaks in your house, it means the leaks have occurred for a long time. You only notice the clues when the damage has gone far.
But you can prevent this. Don’t wait until you see signs of roof leaks on your property. Engage in a regular inspection of your roof and attic. Get an expert who is very experienced in roof inspection to help you locate and repair any leak on your roof.
Inspect your attic thoroughly. Pay attention to the attic ventilation. Ensure that the louvers, ridge vents, soffit vents, or intake vents are not blocked. A blockage can lead to the accumulation of moisture and heat build-up. This will progress to cause damage to the shingles, sheathing, rafters, and insulation.
During the attic inspection, check for signs of leaks such as puckering, rotting, stained board, rusty nails, and molds or algae growth. Keep your attic clean and engage a professional for your roof inspection to locate subtle signs that you may overlook.
Replace missing shingles
You should replace your shingle if any of them is missing, cracked, or bent. Other signs that you need to replace your shingles are discolored patches on the roof, shingle debris, or downspout splash blocks.
Damaged shingles serve as faulty spots that result in roof leaks. You should seek the services of a professional who will replace all cracked, damaged, or missing shingles.
Inspect your roof flashing
Roof flashing is one of the essential components of the roofing system. It is used to seal the cracks and bends on the roof in other to prevent water from seeping in. It consists of metals or vinyl pieces used to connect the meeting points of the roof junctions, the roof to walls, different parts of the roof, etc.
While inspecting your roof flashing, check for holes, gaps, or damages. Also, ensure that they are tightly fitted and not loose. Get an expert to help you with this.
Clean your roof gutters
Roof gutters and downspouts allow proper drainage by directing water away from the roof and house. When the gutters are blocked by debris, water will not be able to flow off your roof. Instead, they will back up under the shingles or pool on the roof to cause leaks and water damage.
Your roof maintenance should include cleaning the gutters at least twice a year. During this process, remove all twigs, leaves, tree branches, dirt, and debris in the gutters. You can inspect the gutters by yourself or schedule for an expert to clean it regularly.
Remove ice dams on the roof
After a snowfall, you may notice ice dam build-up on your roof edges. This is because heat from your house’s interior melts the snow on the rooftop except for the roof’s cold borders. So the water refreezes at the edges of the roof to form ice dams or icicles.
Ice dams clog roof gutters, blocks drainage, and can damage your roof. If you notice this, you should remove the ice dams manually with a rake, or you can consider insulating your attic to a proper R-value to prevent further occurrences.
In a nutshell
The roof is an essential component of your house, and as such, it requires regular maintenance. Any damage to your roof can lead to unwanted consequences.
Below are some tips for preventing leaks and damages to your roof:
- Regular inspection of the roof and attic
- Replace missing shingles
- Inspect your roof flashing
- Clean your roof gutters
- Remove ice dams on the roof
Always seek the services of a professional that will help you with your roof maintenance.