Knowing what to look for is half the battle for any homeowner doing regular maintenance on their home. The roof of the house is a crucial part of the structure, since it protects the rest of the home from weather, pests, and other types of damage. Making sure your roof is in good shape is vital for proper homeownership, so here are a few things you’ll want to pay attention to on your roof, so you’ll be aware of when it needs replacing.
Loose Granules
When the shingles of a roof start to age, they begin to shed granules. This is generally due to normal wear and tear, but losing these granules means your shingles are losing their weatherproofing abilities. To check for this issue, the easiest place to start is your gutters. Sometimes you can hear the granules shaking around the gutters, but even if you don’t, it’s worthwhile to get up on a ladder and check it out.
Inspect Your Attic
It makes sense that if your roof starts to fail, the first place you’ll notice an issue will be the attic since it sits directly under the roof. Checking the attic regularly means you’ll be able to catch leaks before they become too big of a problem. Not to mention, when you’re inside the attic, you’ll be able to easily see where the problems are. If you haven’t checked your attic in a while, take time to do it; if you smell or see mold, it’s likely that you already have a leak and some water damage that will need to be attended to quickly.
The Shape of Your Shingles
When you do a simple roof inspection, pay attention to any missing shingles. If shingles are gone, they could leave behind openings for moisture and pests. And once there is a shingle missing, the surrounding shingles can be easily affected since they’re more vulnerable to the elements.
If all of your shingles are still present but you notice that some have begun to curl, this is a sign of moisture damage. If too much moisture has gotten into the attic, it can put pressure on the shingles, causing them to curl up, loosening them from the roof where they are more likely to fall off.
Ice Dams
Pay special attention to your gutters when you do a roof inspection. If your gutters are full of debris, they can cause ice dams to form inside. If you notice large icicles hanging off your gutters, you probably need to clean them out. If you don’t take care of this in time, the weight of the ice dams could pull on the roof, causing still more damage.
Doing a proper roof inspection is something every homeowner should complete regularly. However, we understand that not everyone is up to the task, so if you need help assessing your roof, call RIHI at (866) 563-7293 today for assistance!
