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COMMON ROOFING PROBLEMS
A roof can endure a number of issues before it actually starts to show in the form of an unexpected skylight. If you want to protect your home, you must first know about the common problems and how to spot them. That roof over your head, the one that keeps you dry and protects you from the elements? It will weather storms, wind, sleet, and snow for decades, but it won’t last forever. There are a handful of potential issues—old or torn shingles, worn-out flashing, clogged gutters, and more—that will degrade the roof. It’s a gradual process—first a loose shingle or worn piece of flashing lets in a little water, then decay develops, and soon you have water ruining your house. The best thing to do is to fix these small problems before they grow into big, expensive ones. Here’s what you need to know.
BLOWN-OFF/DAMAGED SHINGLES
Depending on the configuration of your roof, you might lose a couple of shingles before you even notice it. But the more common problem is to have lifted or damaged shingles due to extreme weather. High winds can pry the metal flashing and tiles up, destabilizing the roof and potentially inviting in everything from water to pests. Too much sun can cause cracking or breakage over time.
TREE BRANCHES
Even if you’ve been vigilant about cutting back your branches and tearing down leaning trees, high-speed winds can make your roof more vulnerable than you think. From an incessant whipping of branches to a fallen limb, the extra pressure from the vegetation can eventually make the roof begin to sag.
ROOF LEAKS
One of the more difficult problems to ignore, roof leaks can cause serious water damage in a short period of time. Leaks can occur anywhere along the roof, even when your shingles are in relatively good shape. Even if you’re not dragging out buckets to catch the falling water though, you may still have a leak that’s going directly into your rarely used attic or crawlspace.
DAMAGED OR WORN FLASHING
The metal flashing of the roof is specifically built to withstand the degradation of time, but it’s also not made to last forever. If your roof is several decades old or it’s undergone a catastrophic event, then your flashing may need to be repaired or replaced.
FAILING GRANULES
Asphalt shingles are built with tiny particles that will absorb the harmful UV rays of the sun. If they’ve begun to fall off though, it will start to show as bald patches on the roof. If your roof has swaths of discoloration, this could be a sign that you’re losing those all-important granules.
DAMAGED GUTTERS
If your gutters or downspouts are starting to fall away from the home, this can eventually end in tragedy for your roof and your home. Damaged gutters are just another way for water to end up in the home or to soak your lawn in all the wrong places. For some gutters and downspouts, it’s just a matter of unclogging and reattaching them, but others will need to be replaced before they put the home in any more danger.
ROTTEN FASCIA BOARD OR SOFFIT
This overhang on the home is a major target for water damage. Just one ice dam can cause enough disruption to the soffit or fascia board that it can begin to detach from the larger structure. From there, it only takes a short period of time before the rot quickly spreads. This is how you can end up getting squirrels and birds making nests in eaves of your home.
TOO MANY ROOFING LAYERS
It may seem counterintuitive that too many layers would be a problem. (All those layers would seemingly add up to more barriers between you and the elements). But the reality is that the roof may not be able to sustain all that extra weight, which can ultimately leave it in peril.
SPLITTING
The roof may seem like a relatively static component of the home, but it’s actually shifting and changing all the time. For some roofs, the shingles will begin to expand when the weather starts to warm up, which can ultimately lead to their splitting. I f those shingles are continuously bumping into one another, it can warp the roof entirely.
ANIMALS
You may think that animals are only attracted to roofs that are falling apart, but this isn’t always the case. Animals that continuously try to burrow into your roof may eventually start to make some progress. Insects may find it even easier to break through to the other side.
MOSS
If your house is even partially shaded, portions of the roof that don’t get any sun may grow patches of moss. It gets under shingles, breaking their seal and causing leaks. It promotes decay in all types of roofing materials, notably cedar and asphalt shingles.
There are several ways to rid the roof of moss. If you happen to be getting a new roof, strips of zinc or copper laid in between shingle courses will prevent moss from growing in the first place. If you’re stuck with your old roof, get a ladder, some slip-proof shoes, a hose (not a pressure-washer) and long-handled scrub brush and climb onto the roof. Standing above the mossy areas, direct a strong spray of water down onto the moss and then use the brush in a downward motion only to push the moss off. Repeat as many times as needed, but be careful not to damage the shingles.
VENT BOOTS
The rubber boot around the plumbing vents can develop cracks or tears If the aluminum flashing is not leaking, it may be possible to replace just the boot. To replace the flashing, you’ll need to choose a boot that fits the vent pipe’s diameter. Pry up the exposed front edge of the old flashing with a flat bar, remove any nails, and lift the base and boot off the pipe. Apply a generous bead of roof sealant to the underside of the new flashing unit, then slide it over the pipe and under the shingle course just above the pipe. Replace the nails, sealing any exposed heads, or use nails with neoprene washers.
SOLUTIONS
The solutions to your roofing problems are the solutions to nearly all your homeownership problems. It helps to pay attention to changes in your home and perform routine maintenance whenever necessary. Shingles may need to be replaced or repaired, the soffit or the flashing may need an upgrade, or you may need to reconsider the number of layers on your home.
The general advice for roof maintenance is to address problems as quickly as possible — even if you can only take care of part of the problem. In other words, a patch-up job is better than nothing. Leaving a problem for too long can ultimately endanger your whole home.
Taking on roofing problems isn’t necessarily easy for many homeowners though. Even a seemingly straightforward task can end in a serious fall. If you have a drone, you can consider using this as a safer means to identify your issues without having to get on a ladder. But there’s an option that might be even better than that.
CALL A PRO!!