Regularly Inspect Your Roof to Extend Its Life

If you’re like most people, you think about your roof only when there’s a problem. Regular inspection of your roof and careful maintenance can forestall problems before they start.

1. Inspect your roof at the end of summer and winter, the seasons that are hardest on a roof. You should also give your roof an extra inspection following a bad rainstorm, windstorm, snowstorm, or severe hail.

2. Begin by inspecting the underside of your roof inside your attic. Look for holes, cracks, or evidence of water damage. Turn off the light and note if you can see sun shining through. Pinholes are hard to see, but they can cause big problems.

3. Next check the exterior of your house. Water stains, sagging, or cracks in the house’s walls are signs of potential problems with the roof. Look along the eaves for any soft or rotted sections.

4. Walk on the roof as little as possible, especially in the summer when asphalt shingles are warm and more easily damaged.

5. Get on the roof and check for holes or protruding nails. Look for curled, missing, or loose shingles. A lot of loose granules from an asphalt shingled roof can indicate deterioration. Particularly examine the flashing in the areas around chimneys, sky lights, vents, etc. Cracks in these areas can let in water. Repair cracks immediately. Check out the valleys between roof peaks where the flashing is a source for potential trouble.

6. Look at the roof edges, gutters, and downspouts. Backed up gutters can cause water damage on the roof itself, so examine the area carefully. Clean clogged gutters right away; this is a crucial part of routine roof maintenance.

7. If you see any rotted areas, examine them carefully to ascertain the extent of the damage. To minimize the damage to the interior of your house, address such problems immediately. If you need roof repair or replacement, hire a professional roofer.

c) 2010 Joaquin Erazo, Jr