Roof Repair: What to Do and When to Do It – Part 2: Spotting Roof Damage
By Stacy MelleteWhile it’s recommended that you have your roof inspected regularly by a professional roofer contractor, if only to nip potential problems in the bud, it’s just as vital to have your roof inspected each time extreme weather passes. After all, storms can do a real number on your roof.
So what should you look for? Concentrate on visible damage. While nothing beats a professional eye when it comes to spotting roof problems, there are things that you can identify yourself that might indicate that a professional inspection is not only in order, but may be urgently needed.
Take after storms and tornadoes, for instance. The most common sign of damage after these hit are sections of missing roof. Strong winds can tear shingles and tiles off so it’s not unusual to see them littered all over the ground after bad weather makes its way through your area.
It’s possible for the torn-off shingles and tiles to not have come from your roof but that doesn’t always mean that your property got out of a storm unscathed. To be sure, get a pair of binoculars and check for bald spots on your roof from the ground.
Hail damage is another kind damage you can check for yourself and needs professional roof repairs. However, damage due to hailstorms may appear differently depending on the kind of material your roof is made of. *show samples of damage indicated for each due to hail*
- Asphalt Shingles. Look for dark spots, similar to a bruise, where impact has knocked shingle granules away. A large amount of shingle granules in your gutters or downspouts are also indicative of wear and tear so take note of that as well.
- Wood Shingles. Wood splits when damaged by hail. Look for those that expose brown or orange areas in the wood and those with dents or sharp corners or edges along their length.
- Cement and Ceramic Tiles. These resist hail damage well, needing large hail stones before damage appears. Look for hairline cracks on the tile, which are more likely to occur on the edges. If hail stones are large enough though, the cracks can be observed anywhere on the tile. Bigger cracks that go all the way through to the bottom or large missing pieces of a tile are indicative of more severe roof damage.
- Metal. At the most, many metal roofs only show dents after a bad hailstorm. Only in severe situations will a roof become deformed so bad after being hit by hail that it will leak or lose wind resistance and be blown off by the next storm.
Now that you know how to spot potential trouble, let’s learn how you can keep damage at bay until a roofing professional arrives. Head on over to Part 3 to learn more.