When last did you take a good look at your roof? Like really decided to take a break and inspect your roof. How do you know when it’s time to call professionals to have a look at the roof? A lot of you reading this will say yes I do know! Ok let’s generalize it. Since you can obviously tell when your roof needs repair what then is stopping you from calling professional roofers to have your roof fixed? The only reason there could be for seeing the obvious and neglecting is the fear of cost in repair. If this is you, I want to bring to your notice that you are not alone. It seems like a general dilemma but what people do not understand is damage on a roof is something you cannot procrastinate on. You want to know why? I will tell you; you cannot procrastinate on roof repairs because the more you do the more the expenses increase. We all are human so we definitely have something so important we are saving for and that is where all our attention is driven at. It is unfortunate that even if you have been saving for that new car, a family trip, or upgrading your wardrobe and it makes you think you can’t afford to tackle the signs in your roof signifying potential damage, well I’m here to tell you that by the time you are ready, the expenses would have grown higher. It is advised by contractors and always good to call a professional roofer to inspect your roof more often. Most of the signs signifying a potential damage to the roof can be seen from the ground while some are notable when you climb the rooftop yourself or when roof specialist does that for you. Below are the warning signs.

• Buckled, missing, cracked or curled shingles

Buckled, missing, cracked, and curled are signs that the roof is getting old. When we see these signs, we always want to remember when the house was built; this is to ascertain if the roof has lived up to its life span expectation. On the norm, the useful life of a typical asphalt/fiberglass shingle is 20-25 years, well this depends on the quality of the shingle and where you live in the country among other factors. However, over time the granules that protect the shingle material from UV rays begin to fall off exposing the material to the elements. Prolonged exposure causes the shingles to crack or curl upwards at the edges. When it cracks and the wind blows almost immediately after the crack, the wind will facilitate the shingles breaking into pieces and flying off the roof.

• Dark stained areas on your roof

This is one of the first signs anyone can notice on his or her roof; its sad many individuals tend to neglect this sign. A dark or stained area on your roof is a result of algae or fungi growth which can cause certain areas on the roof to appear dirty or black. This is a problem for the roof as the mold or algae will start eating away the shingle base slowly thereby causing them to loosen and decay. To prevent the above from happening, if you spot any dark areas on your roof and you cannot climb to take a look at it, contact a professional roofing contractor to inspect your roof on your behalf and determine if the stains are indeed algae growth.

• Shingle and sheathing deterioration

When a deteriorating shingle is not changed, it will gradually head to the sheathing panel of the roof. The situation getting to sheathing is what we have to avoid, but the truth is that many of us do not even know the cause of shingle deterioration. Well, deterioration can be caused by many factors, of which algae and mold are one of them. When a deteriorating roof goes undetected and reaches the sheathing panels, then it may be too late because sheathing is the connection between the shingles and the rafters of every roof. Whenever this connection is weak, it will make the roof more vulnerable to lose during high winds, and storms can eventually compromise the integrity of your roof.

• Blistering and peeling of outside paint

Blistering and peeling of outside paint are one of the easiest warning signs to spot. Many homeowners often see this sign and ignore them due to the fact that they likely do not know what is causing the problem. Blistering or peeling of outside paint is the result of high humidity or excessive moisture caused by poor ventilation (especially in the attic). Poor ventilation will result in hot air being built up and trapped in the attic. This excess heat is responsible for the blistering, bubbling and peeling of the exterior paint around the gables. To prevent the above from happening, you ought to have a properly working attic fan and make sure your bathroom exhausts are working properly.

• Watermarks on the ceilings

Watermark signs are rarely seen on the roof, the only way to detect or notice them is when the roof starts leaking, which is a little bit too late and kind of hard to pinpoint the exact place on the roof. Roofing leaks may be a result of deterioration or insufficient underlayment which is very costly to repair.

In conclusion, you need to look out for these signs; whenever you notice any, you have to immediately seek a way to get it tackled because procrastinating will only lead to more expenses. If, on the other hand, you can’t get on the rooftop and you want to inspect the roof, all you need is a professional roofer. If you live in NYC, reach out to our office to schedule a day and time we can come and have your roof inspected.

In as much as it is always good to seek the services of professionals in certain things, there are still measures an individual can take to prevent those extra expenses being paid to the professional. This applies to almost everything in life, just like the popular adage “prevention is better than cure.” As a house owner, there some small things you ought to take care of yourself so as to make your roof last longer for you. These measures are just minor things you can do yourself well unless you are so occupied that you barely live in your house except on holidays. In this article, we will be looking at those measures we ought to take ourselves to ensure that our roof is kept safe from small damages because even if we are buoyant enough to always seek the service of roofers or maintenance, you can never tell maybe before their arrival at your home more damages would have been done either by wind or by rain. This could be prevented if only we take out little time to monitor our roof situations.

We all know how important it is to have a good roof over our head. The roof protects the rest of the home from damage, adds value to your home, helps keep your home cool or hold in heat, and gives you a happier place to live. However, even if the roof is not new, if you decide to follow these simple maintenance tips, your roof will be in a top condition much longer than even expected.

Clean All Debris From Your Roof

We advise you to clean all the debris from your roof at least twice a year. Debris such as leaves, dirt, pine needles and plastics can overtime cause mildew and mold to grow on the roof and cause damages. By keeping the roof free of debris it literally means you are removing the potential for damage to your roof thus keeping the roof in good condition always.

Trim Overhanging Tree Branches

Trees beautify home no doubts, but we ought to monitor the growths of these trees if you are the one that likes your tree tall and near the roof, then you should always be ready to trim it often.

Keep Gutters Clean

Keeping your gutters free of debris will make it not to get clogged. We all know how expensive it is to repair a clogged gutter. Clean gutters make it easy for the passage of rainwater away from your roof.

Replace Cracked Mortar

If during an inspection and you notice that your mortar is cracked, quickly change them before it becomes worse and damage the chimneys as well.

Damaged Shingles and Roofing Tiles

If you notice a single shingle or roofing tile is damaged, replace it immediately. Many people think a missing shingle or roof tile is nothing to worry about, yes it looks so until the rest starts pulling off without you knowing.

The above are simple measures one can easily schedule him or herself to do, if however you do not have any spare time for this, then you have to trust the service of professional roofers like us to handle it for you.