Welcome to Family Roofing

What to expect from an asphalt roof

Asphalt is one of the most popular materials used in residential roofing.  In fact, statistics suggest four out of every five U.S. homes uses asphalt shingles.  They look good, they’re easy to accommodate on different building styles, and they hold up well against the elements.

What causes damage to a roof?

The average roof takes a lot of abuse over its lifetime – often more than other areas of the house. Some common examples include:

• Exposure to the elements (sunlight, wind, rain, hail, snow)

• Biological growth (blue-algae, tree or plant debris)

• Poor installation technique

• Inconsistent maintenance or repairs

• Change in building use (leading to increased humidity or imbalanced ventilation)

Why maintain a roof?

Even if there are no outward signs of obvious damage, every homeowner should ensure a professional regularly inspects and performs maintenance, where necessary, to a roof. Keeping it in healthy condition may protect the home.  Maintenance is an investment that may pay major returns down the road.

Steps to Regular Roof Maintenance

A roofer can help a homeowner properly maintain his or her asphalt shingled roof  by completing four basic steps twice a year – plus after major storms (including ice, hail, snow or rain storms; or other major weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes).  It’s important to also remind homeowners to always contact a licensed roofing contractor to help conduct both the inspection and repairs of their roof.

Clean Debris

All roofs over a period of time collect debris, such as leaves or garbage. This debris can collect in between or behind other objects that project from your roof, like your chimney, an HVAC unit, or pipes.  It’s important that debris are removed from your roof on a regular basis (at least three times or more a year), so water on your roof won’t contribute to the deterioration of the asphalt.

Inspect for Moss and Algae

Moss and algae formations on your roof can contribute to the deterioration of asphalt shingles.  If you discover that you have algae or moss growing on your roof, you should remove them. You can use zinc or lead control strips, for example, to inhibit the growth of formations.

Check Shingles

Examine your roof for any shingle tabs that might have come loose.  If you do find loose shingles, repair them with roofing cement.  A small amount of the cement applied to the underside of the shingle will secure it.  If you find shingles that have been damaged or are missing, remove the damaged shingles and replace the ones that are missing as soon as possible.

Check the Gutters

In order for water to flow properly off your roof and into rain gutters, you will need to examine the gutters.  Check both the downspouts and the gutter to make sure debris hasn’t collected in them which could interfere with the proper functioning of your gutters.

Check for Overgrown Tree Branches

Inspect your roof for tree branches that have grown onto the roof and may be creating wear as they are blown by the wind.  If branches are scraping on your roof, you should trim them to prevent leaves and branches from collecting.

An important part of roof maintenance is the routine cleaning, clearing and tidying of the roof and its related systems.  Pay attention not only to roof shingles and flashing but other key components, such as eavestroughs, down spouts, installations (such as skylights, vents, chimneys, solar panels), and ventilation.

Here’s what we recommend:

Working from the ground, homeowners should where possible regularly clear debris from the roof, including leaves, branches, and other items that may be cluttering the surface.  Your roofer may use a leaf blower to do this, being sure to blow the air down the roof (so he’s not blowing debris up and underneath the shingles).  To reduce the amount of debris that gathers, cut away vegetation that may be hanging over the roof. (Hire a contractor to cut away difficult or hard to reach areas.)

Roof Inspection

Once the roof has been cleared, the roofer should inspect it for any potential problems or red flags that could spell trouble down the road.  He should complete this inspection twice annually (we recommend spring and fall).  This will give him the opportunity to make note of anything suspicious, as well as complete small fixes or minor repairs before they turn into big issues.

As a roofer, keeping a close eye on your client’s roof will help you become familiar with it, which gives you the advantage of knowing when something has changed – a key factor in catching problems early.  Also check for any evidence the ventilation system (intake or exhaust) is malfunctioning or may need maintenance or cleaning. (Some obvious hints may be condensation inside the attic or ice dams.)

Repair

A trained contract roofer should immediately complete asphalt shingle roof repairs to maintain the integrity of the roof’s materials and related systems (such as drainage and ventilation).  Small fixes done properly can help prevent larger problems, or more major repairs, over time. He may:

Replace or repair missing, broken or buckled shingles:  A roofer may use roofing cement and/or nails to repair shingles that have become cracked or loose. He may also replace any shingles that have broken free or blown away.

Replace Other Flashing

Your roofer may use roofing cement and nails to replace metal flashing around chimneys, roof vents or other installations if the flashing has become loose or rotten.  If installing the flashing against brick, it’s advised to use copper or galvanized steel, because the lime in brick mortar may corrode aluminum.

Repair Gutters Or Downspouts

Your roofer may use gutter caulking, a gutter patching kit or roofing cement and patches to repair leaky or corroded sections of the eavestroughs or downspouts.  If they are sagging, he will use a level to determine proper pitch and rehang them so they drain properly.