Don’t forget your roof as you prepare for Spring and Summer!
Each season creates a unique challenge for your roofing maintenance needs, and
spring is the perfect time to address some of those winter hazards. Winter’s
unique challenge has to do with animals, trees and expansion and contraction.
Has your roof had a lot of repairs in the past year?
Has your roofing professional warned that the roof's life
will soon expire?
Do leaks seem to be happening more frequently whenever it
rains?
Can you spot obvious damage or extensive wear and tear in
areas?
Is your roof at or beyond its projected life
expectancy?
Animals like to find warm places to live when it gets cold,
like your attic. They will scratch, claw and tear off roofing material to get
into your attic. Specifically, they like to start in a covered corner at a
dormer or under an eve. I have seen vents pulled off, metal flashing separated
and shingles removed. Once they are through the outer layers they chew or
scratch through the wood decking and “viola” HOME SWEET HOME in your attic. Tree limbs that fall during the winter seem to always land
with the sharp point of the branch stabbing the roof material causing a hole or
deep gash. Many time owners will not notice the damage because the limb will
have slipped of the roof and into the yard. Leaves that have remained on the roof
from fall will have become mulch by now. As they continue to stick together,
they cause a dam that restricts water from running off the roof as it is
designed. Steep sloped shingle roofs do not water proof your building they are
water shedders. Once something causes water to stand or back up on the shingle
roof, it will cause a leak. The shingles under this pile of leaves is also
susceptible to premature deterioration. Alabama winters are cold one day and hot the next. With
extreme temperature changes comes a great deal of expansion and contraction of
your exterior building materials. Your roof takes the lion’s share of abuse. As
the parts of your roof move back and forth they essentially destroy themselves.
Nails in shingle roofs will work their way up and through the top of the
shingle leaving a hole. Flat roof seams will separate from the heat and cold,
but also from ice. When rain water sits
on a flat roof and creeps into the smallest cracks and then freezes, major
leaks can occur overnight. As the water expands while freezing into ice it
splits apart the roofing sheets that only work when they are “stuck” together. If you haven’t had your roof looked at recently, get it done
before the late spring storms hit. Better to know you have a hole in your roof
before the rain lets you know by coming into your home, uninvited!! Call Mr. Roofer at 334-494-7212 for a FREE ROOF EVALUATION
to see if you are ready for the spring and summer rains.
