Saturday, January 25, 2014

Sometimes Roof Replacements Are A Necessary Expense

By Grace Rivas


When the weather is warmer it is a good time to see what home repairs are required. Perhaps you would like to renovate your kitchen, or spruce up your garden, but don't forget to check your roof. When you are noticing major leaks, the damage may already be severe, and full roof replacements will be necessary. However, if you inspect your house often then small leaks can more easily be repaired at a lesser expense.

In order to avoid the need for complete repairs, the National Roofing Contractors Association suggest that you inspect your house every spring and fall. Instead of hiring an expensive inspector you can do this yourself. Before deciding what needs to be done and who to hire, it is important that you check the inside of your property.

When inspecting the interior, look for places where the ceiling may be sagging, any signs of water damage or leakage, dark spots or trails, or for places where you can see daylight through the ceiling. Any of these things could indicate a serious problem.

When inspecting the exterior, and yes, this means going on top of the house yourself, check for damage to your flashing. Then look for missing shingles, buckling, curling, algae growth and blistering. Look carefully to see if any of the tiles are cracked, missing or bald, and if they need replacing.

Remember to look at the state of the gutters too. Their general condition and also if they are collecting an excessive amount of granules from the shingles. This could indicate serious roofing problems. Also look for water damage, including mold and rot, on the lowest parts of the roof. If you find problems, you may need the help of a professional.

Perhaps you won't need to replace your whole roofing structure, but by getting some help from a professional you can acquire more information. In many cases only a part of the structure will need to be repaired, for example, a few shingles or tiles. How much damage needs to be repaired may also depend on the type of roofing you have.

If you have tiles or concrete as part of your home's structure, then you can expect it to last for a long time. The life expectancy of tiles is about one hundred years, although they do break if they are put under pressure individually. Cedar roofs, however, only last about twenty years, and need more attention. They are found to come apart, and can be affected by insect attacks as well.

Most people needing complete repairs have cedar roofs or roofs of another wood that has shingles over it. Professionals advise twice yearly checks so that this will not be necessary. You may do it yourself, but this is a dangerous undertaking, and it is important that it gets done right.

Roof replacements are expensive but well worth it. When asked what is important in life, most people cite having a roof over their heads as the number one priority. Once you have your house in order it is imperative that you take care of it so it lasts for years.




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