A homeowner is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their house, since a house is a large and complex piece of hardware. This ranges from fixing the plumbing to installing more wall insulation all the way to roofing repairs, gutter repair, and the like. In fact, roofing repairs can include removing the entire roof at once and asking roofing contractors to put in a fresh new one. In some cases, in fact, doing that may be more cost efficient than conventional roofing repairs. What are some clear signs that a house needs roofing repairs? A homeowner should know when their roof is compromised, and they can look up local roofing services who can help out. This can save a lot of money (and discomfort) in the long run.
Problems With a Faulty Roof
A roof’s job is to block the elements from getting into the house, from sunlight to wind, rain, snow, and falling debris. Not only that, but a roof will also serve as part of the house’s insulation and maintain its climate control during summer and winter. A roof may suffer damage from sheer old age, though, as it expands and contracts due to changes in humidity and temperature. This can warp the wood, wear out the tiles, and put cracks and holes in the roof. In other cases, large debris such as hail or falling tree branches may strike the roof, and of course, a nearby tornado is likely to hammer the roof with debris at high speeds. Sometimes, squirrels may reach the roof via tree branches and chew their way through the wood. This will make holes in the roof and attic, and those squirrels may cause further damage once inside the house.
All of this can cause some serious damage. All those cracks, holes, and missing tiles will allow rain water or melting snow to get into the attic and house, and such water may rot and warp the wood in the attic (and possibly encourage mold or mildew growth). That water may leak further into the house, and get onto the drywall and put water stains on it (which requires repairs). Such intruding water may also damage electrical components in the walls and damage them, and the water may pool on the floor or basement. Meanwhile, intruding squirrels are likely to build nests in the air ducts (which blocks air flow), as well as chew on plastic pipes and wires, damaging them. Finally, an old and faulty roof may leak a lot of warm or cool air, which disrupts the house’s climate control efforts and overworks the HVAC system. The overworked HVAC system will use up a lot of electricity as it compensates for that temperature disruption.
Getting Roofing Repairs Done
A concerned homeowner may notice one or more of these symptoms, or they may have just moved into a house that has such problems with its roof. Either way, that homeowner may look up local roofing repair services online, and find nearby companies who can help. A contractor’s website may include photos, videos, and articles showcasing their work, and a homeowner might compare a few companies before hiring one. The same may be done for hiring roof replacement crews.
Once on the scene, workers will replace missing tiles and fix damaged wooden components, not to mention pour liquid rubber. Such products can seal up all cracks and holes, and prevent new ones from forming, thus preventing water leaks in the future. Those workers may also remove all intruding squirrels and patch up the holes, then apply special paint or glue that repels squirrels.
In some cases, it is more cost friendly to perform total roof replacement, such as if a roof was devastated after a tornado or hurricane (or if it’s very old). The entire roof is taken off, and the homeowner may choose what sort of roof will replace it. One option is to have a metal roof installed, an attractive option since metal roofs last three to seven times longer than asphalt tile ones, and are more durable overall. Metal roofs are also less expensive to install, and they don’t have tiles that may fall off. Metal roofs are also friendly for insulation purposes.
