If you are a homeowner, you must be sure an intact roof protects your family. One of the best ways to be proactive about your roof is with an annual roof inspection. A roof inspection service will utilize a roofing professional who can look at every part of your roof, your gutters, and your attic. After the inspection takes place, the inspector can tell you if any repairs need to be made.
If you get along well with the roof inspection services, ask them if you can contract with their company as an on-call emergency roof repair service. You can also ask for a roof maintenance checklist. These checklists will give you, as the homeowner, a monthly list of tasks to perform to keep your roof intact.
If you have succeeded in enlisting the roof inspection company as an on-call resource, you will be able to call them if you detect a leak originating from the roof. If you see a leak in your ceiling, you can ask for a roof leak inspection (which checks only the source of that individual leak). You’ll be able to pinpoint the origin and then request repairs to the leak.
Do you wonder about your home’s roof condition? Some homeowners don’t think about their roofs until they leak. At that point, you need to hire roofing services for a major repair. A better plan involves an annual roof check up called an inspection.
Roof Inspections Cost Little
The cost of roof inspection won’t break the bank; in fact, it might not even dent it. Many roofing companies offer free inspections, and those that charge for one typically keep the cost under $100. That small annual expense can save a homeowner thousands of dollars by spotting small problems and suggesting appropriate repairs immediately. If you okay the repairs, many companies will complete the work that day.
In Between the Annual Inspections
Your local professional roofing service has a lengthy roof maintenance checklist that includes walking the roof to check its stability. A homeowner should not do that step, but they should walk around the perimeter of their home once per month, looking at the roof from the ground. Note any loose or missing shingles, roofing bald spots, or roofing gutter system damage. When you spot any of those issues, phone your local professional roofer to make repairs.
It is an unfortunate reality that eventually the roof over your head starts leaking, signaling the time for a roof repair. But even worse than a leaking roof repair is the inevitable roof replacement. It happens to all of us at one point or another and knowing when to contact roofing contractors is half the battle.
Replacing VS. Repairing
Deciding whether to replace or repair residential roofing is a very loaded question. An individual without the knowledge and expertise of roof installation can easily be nervous of a simple leak and spend more money than needed. That isn’t to say a leaking roof should be ignored, quite the contrary since 40 percent of problems real estate experiences are due to water intrusion. However, there are a few rules of thumb to consider to narrow down where your roof may fall under.
The lifespan and type of roof you own should first be considered; while the buildings themselves are designed with a 50 year lifespan in mind, the roofs are half that, around 20 years. How old are your shingles? Or do you own a metal roof? When and how often did you have inspections? If you experience leaking from a young roof, then either the shingles need replaced, which is unlikely, or the most likely scenario is that your roof has an imperfection and needs to be addressed. That drip may be slow, but considering that just a shallow inch of rainfall on your roof can be as much as 1500 gallons. This is especially concerning if your roof is of low-quality and pushing 20; they tend to handle weather poorly.
With proper inspection done once or twice a year can actually be very proactive. This allows for any problems in your residential roofing to be noticed and quickly fixed before further damage can be done. In fact, if inspections are done frequently in areas that experience plenty of rainfall, you should know that 93 percent of water damage can actually be avoided if proper precautions are taken for your residential roofing.
Again, it is not an easy question to answer. Your best bet is to get in contact with a contractor that is qualified to inspect and, hopefully, direct you to the best avenue. It is best to hear from experienced individuals rather than letting an issue get out of hand that could have been prevented; this is the roof over your head and putting it off only worsens it.