Urgent Roof Repairs: Recognizing And Addressing Major Damage

Posted on: 12 June 2023

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Your home's roof acts as a shield against the elements, from rainstorms to harsh UV rays. However, it is not invulnerable, and when significant damage occurs, urgent repairs are necessary to protect your investment and ensure your home stays safe.

Fact: Hail Causes Extensive Roofing Damage

Inspecting your roof after a hailstorm is crucial in identifying potential problems. Look for dents or fractures, granule loss on asphalt shingles, and cracks or breakage on tiles or metal panels.

Asphalt shingles are susceptible to granule loss during hailstorms. Wood shingles can suffer cracks, and metal roofs may develop dents due to hail impacts.

Depending on the severity of the roofing damage, you might need to replace individual damaged shingles or tiles, reseal seams in metal roofing systems, or replace the entire roofing if the structural integrity has been severely compromised.

Fact: Trees Can Cause Extensive Damage

Overhanging branches can scrape against your roof's surface, causing wear and tear. High-velocity winds during storms may cause large branches or trees to fall onto your roof, resulting in severe and widespread damage.

Indicators include scraped-off granules from asphalt shingles due to friction with branches and even entire missing sections of the roof. Unfortunately, homeowners can overlook these damages if they are not diligent about inspecting their roofs after major storms move through the area.

Fact: Animal Activity Can Cause Extensive Roof Damage

Raccoons, squirrels, birds, and insects can all inflict damage on your roof as they look for nesting sites or food sources. Warning signs of animal activity include chewed or clawed shingles, holes in eaves, and nests built alongside chimneys or within the attic space.

One option for reducing the risk of animal activity damaging the roof is to trim away any tree branches near the home. It will make squirrels and other small animals less likely to access the roof. After a roofing repair contractor has addressed these issues, you should consider these steps to make future damages less likely.

Fact: Poor Roofing Ventilation Is A Serious Source Of Roof Damage

Insufficient ventilation can lead to moisture build-up in your attic space. This can easily cause shingles to buckle, wood rafters to rot, or an ice dam formation during winter. While ventilation is a crucial factor in modern roofing, it is often neglected.

Proper roof ventilation requires a balanced mix of intake and exhaust vents. The installation process may involve adding more vents where needed or adjusting existing vent sizing based on recommendations from a licensed roofing professional.

For more information, contact a roof repair company near you.