Your roof provides the most protection for the rest of your home or business and keeping it that way is extremely important.  When your roof is in perfect working order you can have the peace of mind you deserve when thinking about the safety and condition of the interior workings of your home.  The thing is, many roofs can last quite a long time when they are cared for correctly and repaired as quickly as possible.

Many roofing problems are hard to spot, which makes it even harder to repair if you don’t know they’re there.  Issues with your residential or commercial roof can lead to major problems with the electrical system, flooring, drywall, framing structure, insulation and foundation of your building.  These problems can be much worse and definitely more costly than your original issue or leak.

The key to saving yourself the money, time and hassle of having major problems due to issues with your roof is to find trouble spots before they get worse.  Many homeowners won’t notice a majority of the problems if they don’t know what to look for.  That’s why it’s important to learn exactly what the warning signs are for potential roofing issues.  Like a doctor you will be able to diagnose your roof and take the appropriate steps to make it better.

Warning signs that can be spotted by simply taking 15 minutes surveying your roof every month will give you an early jump on major roofing issues.

• The biggest factor in determining if your roof is failing is its age.  If you know how old your roof is, great!  If you don’t try and speak with the previous owners to find out when it was last replaced.  Roofs in their 20’s are much more susceptible to having problems, simple because the materials have been weathering the elements for years.  You’re going to want to check your roof more frequently if it’s over 20 years old.

• Check for cracked or missing shingles.  These are clear signs of a failing roof, but can sometimes be hard to spot with certain colored roofs.  Take time to carefully survey your roof, gutter drain and yard for remnants of asphalt, clay, wood or slate shingles.

• Shingles can also become warped and worn.  Check for shingles that are abnormally raised or that have corners which are peeling up and away from the surface of your roof.  You will also want to check for dark, smooth spots on your roof.  These area’s indicate spots where an asphalt shingle’s protective granules have been worn off, leaving the vulnerable underside exposed to the elements.

• Look for pin-hole leaks.  Check out your attic on a sunny day with the lights off.  Look around the entire ceiling in your attic for sun light coming through to the interior.  These spots indicate small holes in your roof which can allow water and moisture into your home!  Be sure to carefully inspect corners and areas around chimneys.

• Also check the underside of your roof from your attic to look for moist spots after heavy rains.  If you notice additional water spots or soft areas then you know there is an issue with the outer layer of your roof in that region.

• Lastly is the most common and obvious roof warning sign, stained drywall and plaster.  If water is leaking through to the interior of your home at a fairly good rate, you’ll begin to see discoloration and water marks forming on the plaster walls and ceilings of your home.  These indicate a fairly major leak, so attend to them as quickly as possible!

If you use these tips to give your home or business’ roof a thorough inspection on a fairly regular basis you’re sure to spot problems at their early stages, meaning repairs will be less extensive and less expensive.  Remember stay safe when inspecting your roof; it’s much easier to use a pair of binoculars rather than attempting to climb a tall ladder to walk around your roof.

Once you notice one of the problems mentioned above, or any other roofing issue, you’re going to want to have a professional roofing contractor check out your roof to find out exactly what the extent of the damage is.  These skilled roofers will be able to discuss all of your repair and replacement options with you, to help you determine the right solution or fix for your budget and schedule.  You can find roofing contractors who are reliable and experienced by using online contractor referral services such as Roofing-Directory and Fix The Home.  These easy to use home improvement resources are dedicated to helping you get the job done, right!  So save yourself time and money by spotting roofing problems in advance.

Aaron Klimchuk
Content Manager
Lead Storm Media
301.466.1715