Exterior Home Services: Understanding Types of Weather Damage and When a Roof Replacement is Needed
Most homeowners take their roofs for granted. After all, they are always there, out of sight and mind, protecting occupants from exposure, and it becomes easy to forget how essential a roof is to daily life. Therefore, it is necessary to take a step back and consider how a roof is not a given, and it can become damaged in weather it protects you against. However, it is also necessary to understand that damage does not automatically mean full roof replacement. Some weather damage can be reconciled, but other damages might reach the threshold for replacement.
Understanding Weather Damage
Wind, rain, ice, sleet and snow are all potential threats to your roof. Granted, these elements are precisely what your roof is designed to protect your home structure against, but a roof is not impenetrable. Most roofs have wind ratings, but severe weather can sometimes exceed those ratings, which means that the shingles and sheathing of your roof might become vulnerable and damaged. If left unchecked, these damages can become substantially worse with other weather conditions like rain and snow, leading to roof leaks and possible rot. When all of these problems are left unchecked, then it can lead to a full roof replacement.
Understanding the Importance of Inspection and Maintenance
A roof requires upkeep to ensure that minor problems do not evolve into major renovations. Therefore, it is crucial that you not only perform visual inspections of your roof after a storm but that you also hire a professional for biannual inspections of the integrity of your roof, ensuring that all necessary repairs are handled before the change of seasons.
A roof replacement is not mandated after a single rainfall. It is typically the result of years of neglect. As a homeowner, it is vitally important that you work with a team of roofing professionals to ensure that your roof lasts for its predicted life expectancy. Do not allow minor issues to evolve into a larger, costlier and more labor-intensive project.