A roof is one of the most important parts of a home and a necessary investment. When any type of roofing issue pops up it is beyond important to address it right away. Failure to do so will likely result in the issue spreading and causing major damage to your home. This will not only be extremely annoying at the moment, but it will also cost you a lot of money down the line to fix.
With roofing being such a big investment, naturally, you want to make sure everything is kept in good condition and that you are getting the most out of your money. It is very important that as a homeowner you understand what the signs of roof damage are and what to do should you spot them. Today, we will be covering just that.
Issues with your attic
An attic can tell you a lot about the condition of a roof. One thing to look for is any water stains on the ceilings of your home or walls. You should also check the walls within your attic. Leaks are a big deal and even the smallest one can turn into a disaster such as widespread mold and damaged walls.
Another thing to look for is any signs of a wet or soggy ceiling. If your ceiling looks soggy or as if it is curving in, that is a bad sign. This would mean that water has already gotten into your attic and is just waiting to soak through and break your ceiling.
You also want to be aware of the temperature of your attic. If it is extremely hot or dangerously cold that could be a sign of poor ventilation and can lead to or be caused by roof damage. Your attic is always supposed to be regulated and never fall too far on one side of the temperature scale.
Shingle Damage
This sign is very obvious most of the time which is nice for homeowners. If you notice any shingle damage at all, you can assume there is roof damage. Damaged shingles can include bent or curled shingles, dented shingles from hail, or cracked shingles. Sometimes there may even be entire sections of shingles missing altogether,
After severe storms, it is best to go stand on the street and look at your home for any shingle or roofing damage. Not all shingle damage is visible from the street and instead may require going onto the roof. If you see anything at all that looks out of place or wrong it is best to contact your insurance company and have a roofing inspection done. Remember, do not procrastinate getting anything fixed.
Debris on your roof
After a major storm, it is also important to look for any type of debris on your roof. This can include anything from a built-up of dirt and leaves to a large tree limb landing on your home. Debris such as tree limbs and branches can put holes in your roof or lift and remove shingles.
Leaves and dirt build-up may not seem like a big deal, but they can do some serious harm to your roof and home. The leaves and dirt will eventually get clogged up in the gutters and cause water to overflow over the edge. This can cause damage to your roof and the surrounding shingles.
One way you can prevent or limit the number of branches that land on your roof is by trimming the surrounding trees and large bushes. Over time, the constant overflow can lead to foundational damage around your home. Overall, always make sure your roof is free from debris, and remember to schedule your gutter cleanouts.
Gutter and flashing dents
This is a super easy way to check for potential damage because you never have to get on the roof. After a storm, be sure to check your gutters and downspouts for any type of dents or kinks that were not there before. The rule of thumb is that if there are dents on your gutters and downspouts, you can be almost certain that there is additional damage on your roofs such as dents to your flashing or shingle damage.
There are some other things you can look for around the base of your home that may point to roof damage. The best things to look for are dents in your garage door and any issues with your window screens or metal mailbox. When damage is done around the home there is a good chance the roof was affected as well.
These types of dents are often done by hail. However, they can sometimes occur due to heavy rain or debris flying around during high winds. In other words, even if it did not hail you should still check for these dents just to be safe.
Mold on the roof
This is a big deal and should always be looked for during roof inspections. You should never see any moss or mold growing on your roof. Moss and mold are caused by trapped moisture which will spread over time and cause severe damage to your roof.
To prevent this you need to make sure that your Soffit is clear of debris. Soffits are vents that move the warm air out of your house. Soffits can get clogged like gutters with dirt and leaves. During an inspection always make sure that your soffits were cleaned and inspected.
What to do if you found or suspect roof damage
If you notice damage yourself or suspect there to be damage, it is important to act quickly. If you know there is some damage it is best to reach out to your insurance company first to get the process started. However, sometimes if the damage is minimal it may be better or even easier to just hire a reputable roofing company to make the required repairs without your insurance getting involved.
If you suspect there is damage your best bet is to hire a reputable roofing contractor to come out and perform a thorough inspection of your roof. They will then go over their findings with you as well as guide you toward the next steps. We talked about this in a recent post, but we have to mention it briefly here.
Never ever work with or trust a storm chaser roofer These people are people who intentionally go to areas where strong weather recently occurred. They will then go door to door and usually blatantly lie about having roof damage and offer homeowners a great deal to repair it. This is a total scam and should be avoided at all costs. They will cut corners, do a poor job, and then leave and never respond to any messages. It is all about the money.
Instead, hire a reputable local roofing company to come out and look at your roof for damage.
Wrapping it up
There is a lot of responsibility that goes into owning a home, and keeping track of the status of your roof is just one aspect. It is important to always check your roof and look for warning signs of damage, especially after a bad storm just hit.
We never recommended actually going onto your roof unless you have prior experience and training. If you think that there may be some damage it is always best to play it safe and hire a professional contractor to come to take a look. This will keep you safe while also addressing the issue head-on.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of what warning signs to look for when it comes to roof damage. Remember to always act quick and only work with reputable roofing companies that are local to your area for the best results,
We are here to help!
At Liberty Roofworks we have over 20 years of professional roofing experience under our belts and we have no plans of slowing down. We understand the importance of keeping a roof in stellar condition and are always willing to perform an inspection for safe measures.
We also believe that all homeowners have the right to be well informed on the roofing process so that they are protected and know what to expect. It saves people from scams like the storm chasing roofers we discussed earlier. That is why we created our Learning Hub where we post new roofing content every single week. Check it out!
Are you in need of any roof work? Whether you need a repair or are unsure if there is damage done to your roof, we are here to help. Please contact us to schedule an inspection and discuss what the next steps would be for you.
At Liberty Roofworks we take great pride in our customer service and truly value our customers. That is why we do our best to always keep our clients informed throughout the roofing process as well as answer any questions they may have. We make roofing easy!