How to Conduct a Basic Roof Inspection Yourself
by Kevin Smith AuthorYour home’s roof is one area that often gets overlooked. At least once a
season, however, you should take a few moments and give your roof a look-see
and you should do a thorough inspection after any major storm. A quick
inspection is a very important part of maintaining residential roofing in
Ocala, FL; follow the steps below to make sure your roof is the best shape
possible.
Flashing
You should look for broken or missing caulk around the flashing seams.
Also, rust spots on flashing can indicate weakened or compromised areas.
Ignoring either can lead to leaks.
Shingles
Buckling, curling or blistering are the primary indicators of a problem
with shingles as are missing or broken shingles. The risk with shingles is
two-fold:
- Leaks,
- The damage
spreads to other portions of your roof.
While addressing any damage on your roof is very important, making sure
you quickly and professionally address damaged shingles is paramount.
Vent
Piping
Besides damage to the pipe itself, the other risk here is that the
rubber boots or sealant rot. A compromised vent pipe can result in leaking
directly into your home’s attic or crawl space.
Chimney
The chimney has a lot of components that can go wrong. One common issue
is that the chimney cap becomes damaged or goes missing. Another area is any
connector points between the chimney and your roof; look for sealant or flashing
that has degraded, cracked or is missing. Leaking between the chimney and your
roof as well as letting rain down your chimney are the risks here.
Moss
or Lichen
Generally, neither is a risk to your roof. They need to be looked at,
though, because in some cases, it can be a signal that the roof is decaying
under the shingles. If that is the case, you could be looking at a sizeable and
expensive project, so if you think the rot is an issue, call a professional.
Gutters
You should inspect your gutters and ensure they are properly attached to
your roof. Unattached gutters can lead to blockages which can cause overflows
and in extreme cases, pooling at the foundation of the house. That can be
disastrous in terms of repairs.
Additionally, inspect the insides of your gutters and look for broken
asphalt pieces and asphalt chips. Those are almost always an sign that shingles
are breaking somewhere. Piles of the sand-like debris is an indicator that the
sun is breaking down your shingles.
Ensuring your residential roofing Ocala, FL, remains in as good a
shape as possible requires professional care, but you can help as well. Perform
these basic inspections to help identify problems before they become a crisis!
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Created on Feb 26th 2020 03:15. Viewed 376 times.