One of the last things you want to worry about on a beautiful summer afternoon is the state of your roof. But if you’re dealing with the prospect of roofing damage, you’ll feel anything but relaxed. Whether you’re trying to avoid a new roof installation on your home, or you’re concerned about the potential for commercial roof replacement at your place of business, you’ll want to keep a sharp eye out for signs of residential or commercial roof damage. If problems advance far enough past realistic repairs, you may have no other option but to install a new roof.
But how does roof damage occur in the first place? Knowing more about how your roof might deteriorate can allow you take the proper preventative steps. Below, we provide information about the most common causes of roof damage so that you can potentially avoid these scenarios in the future.
Harsh Weather
Extreme weather is often the cause of roof damage. Heavy wind, ice dams, hail, snow and even excessive humidity and sunshine all take their toll on a roof. While you can’t escape Mother Nature, you can take immediate action following a storm. If you need to replace shingles or other roofing materials after a particularly harsh weather pattern has rumbled through, immediately contact your trusted roofing contractor. The sooner you take care of the damage, the less likely it will be that you’ll need to pay for an entire residential or commercial roof replacement. And if you know you live in an area that’s prone to inclement weather, prioritize regular roof inspections to minimize the chance that damage will go unnoticed, resulting in reduced roof life and more expense.
Lack of Maintenance
Roofs should be inspected at least twice a year and a proper roof cleaning can maximize the roof’s lifespan to 25 years or longer. Regular maintenance can ensure your existing roof lasts as long as possible. In contrast, a lack of maintenance can make a roof deteriorate much more quickly than it would with a small investment. If you forego consistent roof inspections and aren’t able to catch those small problems early on, they’ll only get worse as time passes. In that scenario, you might have to pay for residential or commercial roof replacement much earlier than you expected – all because you didn’t have your roof regularly inspected and small repairs completed on a timely basis. It’s best to invest the time and money for inspection and maintenance services, as your costs will be lower in the long run and your peace of mind will be through the roof (if you’ll pardon the pun).
Poor Installation and Workmanship
When roof replacements are performed improperly, roofing materials may be more likely to dislodge, or leaks can occur at a higher frequency. Whenever you hire a roofing contractor, you should ask for proof of licensing and insurance, research publicly available information about the company and shop around to improve the chances that you’ll hire a great contractor offering high-quality repair and installation services. This is certainly an area of building improvement that requires professional installation for best results over the long term. When comparing estimates after roof inspections, ensure the terms of contract and warranties (if applicable) are all specified, and that the quoted price includes the cost of materials, labor, permits and incidental fees. Honest, experienced professionals may charge more upfront, but their skilled workmanship results in a long-lasting, structurally sound and beautiful roof.
While these certainly aren’t the only causes of roofing damage, these common scenarios account for many of the issues homeowners and business owners experience with their roofs. To learn more about fixing roof damage, contact us today.