How To Know When Your Home Needs A Roof Repair

By Andrew B. Spates


Your roof is obviously one of the most important parts of your building. Unfortunately, however, a lot of property owners forget about these structures until problems arise. In instances of long-term neglect, it is not uncommon for people to be confused about whether they should pay for repairs or have the entire roofing surface replaced. Following are several ways to determine whether you can get away with a simple roof repair.

You have to start by learning how old your roof really is. This will allow you to determine the remaining lifespan of this structure. If you bought your home some time ago, you may already have this information on hand. If you have only recently bought it, however, you should try talking with your agent, seller, or the roofing contractor that installed the roof.

If none of these options get you the information that you need, call a roofing company and set up an inspection. These services can allow you to catch and correct small problems while they remain minor in nature, especially if you schedule them on a regular basis. This is also going to give a new roofer the chance to learn more about this structure and to determine its age. If your provider determines that this structure is close to the end of its lifespan, you should start budgeting for a new roof installation right away.

Take a good look at your shingles or your roof tiles. These structures should not have any evidence of buckling, warping or other significant damage. If you have a number of tiles or shingles that have gone missing, this likely means that it is time for the roof to be replaced.

Simply replacing a few tiles here and there is not going to provide any lasting benefits. Once the next windy day or storm season hits, you will be right back where you started. When lost or missing tiles has become a widespread problem, homeowners should talk to their roofers about longer-lasting solutions.

A reputable roofer will take a look at your roof's flashing. There should be no rips, tears or other signs of damaged. Flashing should be firmly attached as well, given that this is designed to protect the roofing substrate.

One other important element to review is the drainage system. Your downspouts and gutters should be hard-working and clean so that they can carry water away from the foundation and keep it off the top of the building. Roofing features like these can be easily swapped out for better options, without homeowners investing in complete roof replacements.




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