When is it Time for a Roof Inspection?

Your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home. It is comparable to the skin of your house; it’s the first line of defense. It protects you and your family from storms, rain, sleet, snow, the sun, and more. When you neglect your roof, expensive problems can occur and even lead to the entire roof needing replacing. At the very minimum, negligence will mean costly energy bills and reoccurring damage control. This is why it’s important to have regular roof inspections. The sooner a problem is diagnosed, the easier it is to repair.

But how do you know when you need a roof inspection? Can you do these yourself or should you call an expert? It can be confusing, especially if you’ve never dealt with these problems before.

Regular Roof Inspections

As a homeowner, your roof is not only a great line of defense… it’s also one of the first things people will see. Keeping your roof in good shape will decrease your costs while simultaneously increasing your property value. Regular inspections are one of the easiest ways to catch any problems.

If you’re considering purchasing a new home, having the roof inspected before closing is a smart way to ensure you’re not inheriting any hidden costs. It’s also a good idea to have inspected if you’re purchasing or building a new home from a general contractor. Having a third party inspection helps make sure that everything is covered and done properly before payment is processed.

Make sure to do visual checks after any significant weather event, especially intense hail falls or storms with high winds. You should also check your roof every fall before the cold weather sets in. If you wait until winter to start any repairs, it may be too late! It is much harder to repair shingles properly in cold weather and it is also much more dangerous for roof work to take place due to ice and freezing temperatures. Check again in the springtime to make sure that there was no damage incurred from the winter weather.

If you know what to look for, you may be able to do these inspections yourself. However, if you aren’t quite sure, it is always best to call in the professionals.

Things to Look For

• Attic Inspections
  Start any home inspections from the inside out. Your first area of focus should be checking your attic for any sagging, water damage or leakage, dark spots, or outside light. If you see any of these things, it is the first sign of a damaged roof.
• Shingles
  Singles are the overlapping rectangular elements that cover a roof. They are the most common type of roofing material used in residential zones. If any of the following damages can be seen on your shingles, it’s time to call a professional.
  • Curling Shingles – If the edges of your shingles are curling, it may be a sign of improper installation. It could also mean that the ventilation is poor or there was a lack of back coating applied. Regardless, replacing the shingles that are curling is recommended to avoid further costs.
  • Blistering Shingles – When moisture is trapped in a shingle it can lead to bursting and extensive damage. These are rarely visible to the untrained eye, unless they’ve punctured, but professionals are able to spot them during roof inspections.
  • Missing Shingles – Simply put, if you’re missing a shingle your roof is exposed to damage. This can lead to a decrease in the life of your roof and more serious problems over time.
  • Buckling Shingles – If you have any buckling shingles it can lead to tearing and cracking of the roof. This will mean leaks, rotting, and potentially the need for a completely new roof.
  • Streaking or Stains on Shingles – Streaks and stains can point to leaks or poor ventilation of your roof. Contact a professional to find the source so that it can be fixed early on.

• Rotting
  When the core of a shingle absorbs moisture, it can lead to rotting. You can see this by observing your roof for any discoloration, large spaces of missing granules, or black spots. Luckily, you can replace rotting shingles without having to replace the entire roof. You may also want to consider non-organic material, such as fiberglass, to avoid rotting in the future.
• Algae Growth
  Moss or mold may be an eye sore, but unless you have shingles made of organic material, it won’t actually affect your roof. If you absolutely can’t stand the look of shingles with mold, they’re easy to replace.

Why should you get a professional roofing contractor for the job?

When you hire a professional roofing company, you can actually speed up the entire process. They have the experience and expertise to provide you with inspections as well as repairs so you don’t have to do worry about needing to do double the work. Upon inspection, they are able to immediately make the proper recommendations on any repairs that may be needed. When you do self-inspections, if you are not trained to see problems it is easy to over look existing issues. If you do find anything wrong, you will still need to hire a contractor to make the necessary repairs.

With an experienced Milwaukee roofing contractor from Advocate Roofing, the job is done efficiently and with no hidden costs. All of our jobs are done with integrity and durability in mind. We make sure to preserve any parts of your roof that are in good condition and make repairs so that the overall look of the original roofing system is not compromised.

To contact an experienced roofing contractor for your home, please call (414) 386-3900. You can also reach us at our customer service hotline, 888-777-ROOF (7663).