The roof, like any other part of the house, requires regular maintenance to work at peak efficiency. Roof professionals often tell homeowners to avail of semi-annual inspections in order to fully utilise the roof and save up to 45 percent of the cost of a roof replacement and extend the life of your roof through corrective maintenance. Below are other ways on how roof maintenance can really help you save money.
Ensures Longevity
The roof’s ability to maintain a watertight seal against the elements is its’ primary job and when the roof can’t maintain a waterproof system, the longevity of the roofing system will be called into question. Don’t wait for your home insurer to tell you to commit a roof inspection, by then it might be too late to save the existing roof and a complete roof replacement may result due to negligence.
Damage Assessment
Twice-a-year inspections can identify damage that has occurred due to inclement weather, rodents or tree branches that breach the surface coating. When conducting a roof inspection some factors that you should consider would be the age of the roof, general wear and tear, damage and improper insulation to name a few.
Ensures Functional Roofing Elements
Inadequate insulation can cause heat build up in the attic that radiates through the roof structure to the shingles and in turn cause the shingles to curl and crack exposing the underside underlay to potential water leaks. Ventilation and insulation are the keys to protecting your shingles from the inside out. Most homes have asphalt shingles that coated in granules, over time and exposure, the granules become loose and wear off. When the granules start to decay it exposes the shingle surface and reduces their overall effectiveness.
Loose shingles or missing shingles is an indication that your shingle’s tar seal is starting to go, a temporary quick fix tar reseal will certainly help it is not a permanent solution to the problem. A roof that is buckling can trace the cause back to insufficient ventilation and attic insulation. Overheating creates moisture build-up that adversely affects the roof truss and roof decking that cause the roof to sag that is visible from the outside.
When conducting an inspection of any or all of these elements, it is important to determine if the elements are still in good shape. For example, is the vent still straight, if is not it might need to be replaced to prevent water damage.
Your water drainage system is another important element of a roofing system and its importance to your roofing system shouldn’t be underestimated. If you see that your rain gutters are blocked by debris, it can cause water build-up in rain gutters that cause two things to happen. Water leaks over the rain gutters and runs down the fascia putting the fascia at risk of water damage. The second problem is the added weight creates separation between the gutters and the building. Consult Johnson Roofing for your roof maintenance. We service the entire Auckland region from Orewa to Manukau, offer no obligation quotes and really stand by our work.
