Inspecting Your Roof to Get Ahead of Problems

The roof is one of the most important parts of your house. It keeps you cool in the summer and keeps the cold Eastern Pennsylvania snows out of your living room. That is why you want to make sure that you take the best care of it that you can. If a roof has issues, it might not be apparent right away. This can mean not catching a problem until it has caused serious damage to your roof decking or even the insides of your walls. If you take the time to inspect your roof once or twice a year you can head off costly repairs by having little issues taken care of before they become serious.

Check the Ventilation

Before heading outside you can check for evidence of problems inside of your house. Start inside your attic to see if your roof ventilation is working properly. A well ventilated roof will have plenty of airflow in the attic spaces to help it quickly dry out and wick away moisture. Check your venting inside to make sure there is enough airflow. Also inspect the roof decking from underneath to see if there are any water spots or evidence of leaking while you are up there.

Take the Inspection Outside

You are eventually going to have to make your way outside, but you might not have to pull out the ladder and start walking around on the roof. If you have a good pair of binoculars or even a camera with solid and clear zoom capabilities, you can do a pretty thorough inspection.

Begin by inspecting your shingles. See if any of them appear to be cracking or lifting up. The latter can be caused by nails lifting up from your roof decking because of wind or other harsh weather. If you find any evidence of lifted shingles you will want to get it taken care of quickly. With space like that under the shingles, a sheet can be easily torn off, causing more problems.

Check For Anything Out of Place

Next, look around for loose shingles or shingle grit. This might pile up near your gutters or downspouts. This is an indication that your shingles are starting to break down and need to be replaced.

Take a look at the seams of your roof. Pay careful attention to places where a skylight, chimney or other ventilation is coming through the deck. You want to make sure that the seals around them are tight and not peeling away. You also want to make sure that there are no gaps in any of the seams or seals around these fixtures.

Finally, stop looking up and take a look around your yard and just below your roof. If you see evidence of fallen roofing materials then it is time to have your roof looked at.

Need to have a contractor come out and look at your roof? Click here to get free custom quotes from reputable contractors in the Greater Philadelphia Area. You’ll receive upfront pricing without having to invite a contractor to your home!