Roofing surprises are never fun, especially when accompanied by a big repair bill.
While it is not possible to anticipate every problem that could happen to a roof, you can plan ahead to minimize the chance of being met with a costly and inconvenient surprise.
Take these thoughts into consideration so you won’t be calling a roofer at the last minute to handle an emergency or some other unexpected issue that needs attention!
Know The Most Common Roofing Issues
The first step in thwarting a roofing surprise is knowing where and how a problem is most likely to crop up:
- Storm Damage - Storm damage is the least predictable of all damage that can occur to any roof, and there is only one way to deal with it: inspect your roof after the storm, be prepared for the possibility of damage with temporary tarping supplies at home, and know which roofer you can call to do the repairs as quickly as possible.
- Leaks - Leaks happen when water gets through the external defenses. They usually start due to damaged or missing flashing, or when the seals around protrusions start to fail.
- Underlayment or Decking Issues - Exposed underlayment or underlayment damaged by leaks due to flashing or seal problems may seem minor, but they can progress to the point of rot, or worse yet, decking rot. Roofers find this type of damage to be very common as it typically happens without being noticed until the damage is quite significant.
- Drainage or Gutter Issues - Clogged gutters on pitched roofs or drains on flat roofs that result in standing water can cause a great deal of damage as that water is soaked up by the underlayment and decking, or eventually finds tiny passageways through the roofing material itself.
Be Observant
The biggest cause of substantial roofing damage in many cases is the owner’s failure to notice there is a problem.
Let go, minor problems can become major ones as more time passes.
This can all be easily avoided by staying observant and doing regular, personal “inspections” of your own roof to look for things that could be causing a problem.
Watch out for the things mentioned above that roofers find responsible for most surprises, those being damaged or missing flashing, gutter or drainage problems, and obvious damage after a storm.
Additionally, look for shingle damage on the outside and signs of leaking or moisture on the inside, up in the attic.
At the first sign of any of these, call a contractor to take a look.
Keep Up With Maintenance
The other way to avoid both the obvious and not-so-obvious problems is to have your roof inspected every year to two years by a professional roofing contractor who can detect problems and determine their cause.
Timely repairs combined with routine maintenance as necessary according to your roof type go the furthest in preventing expensive roofing surprises.
Stay Vigilant To Avoid Expensive Roofing Surprises
As easy as it may be to forget about the roof over your head, letting out of sight be out of mind can be costly.
If you stay vigilant by understanding the problems most likely to occur and then watching for them, you will be one step ahead of any potential roofing surprises so they can’t sneak up.
As a last protective measure, roofers recommend that you keep a repair budget saved up just in case, and any unexpected repair that becomes necessary can be easily handled.
With this kind of preparation, you are much less likely to be caught off guard by roofing surprises, or the problem of how to resolve them!