Your roof is the first and most important line of defense for your home, providing shelter, warmth and keeping the rain out. At Roofstarr Roofing, we appreciate just how important your roof is and we carry out our roof installation and repair with the quality and care that your property deserves.
All over Canada, property owners are taking their building maintenance into their own hands but when considering your roof, it is better to leave it to the professionals. One of the most important pieces of your roof installation or replacement is the preparation of the space or the removal of old or pre-existing materials.
If it time to replace your old roof, there is a chance that some of the materials that are set underneath the outer-most layers of your roof, have degraded in addition to the shingles. These damaged areas can cause health hazards through soft or weakened pieces of the structure, and can even emit debris into the interior of the home.
How Do I know If I Need To Repair or Replace My Shingles?
One indication that you need to replace or repair your roof is to take a look in your eavestrough. The rain gutter will have granules of asphalt that will indicate that your shingles have started to ‘bald’. Any type of moss growth is another sign that your roof might need replacing. Of course, if you have any leaks inside your home, discoloration or spots on your ceiling, that is an indication that moisture is seeping or dripping in.
In the spring, missing shingles are a common roofing problem. The shingles may have been poorly installed or come loose because of high winds, ice and snow damage and other weather exposure. Missing shingles should be replaced by a professional to ensure the roof’s integrity remains intact and no leaking occurs.
Improperly installed, degraded, damaged and missing shingles are the primary causes for roof leaks. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to replace your roof. Cost effective repairs can be made to stop the leaks and extend and preserve the life of the roof.
Failure Due To Poor Workmanship
The shingles could be ‘nailed high’ which allows wind to lift up the shingles off of the roof deck. Sometimes the shingles are installed incorrectly using a vertical racking method instead of using the stepped method which can cause roof leaks. Defects, damage or failure caused by the application of the shingles not in strict adherence within written instructions of the roofing material manufacturer can also be a cause for premature aging.
What is Attic Ventilation?
For most properties, proper attic ventilation will promote air flow, with initial intake through a properly vented overhang and soffits, up through the attic, finally expelling the air through appropriate roof top ventilation. In the summer, proper ventilation will move the hot air next to the roof deck out of the attic, where in the winter, it will dilute and remove the moist air before it can cause damage. In combination with sufficient insulation, it also helps keep a more uniform temperature on the underside of the roof deck where, in the winter, it will help eliminate one of the principle causes of ice dam formation.
Attic ventilation might seem like a minor consideration, but when properly installed, it can extend the life of your roofing system as a whole and can help save you thousands of dollars in repair costs.
