Preserving Your Roof
Whatever the roofing material may be – composition shingle, wood shake, tile, or metal – the best way to preserve your roof is to stay off it.  Also, seasonal changes in the weather are usually the most destructive forces.
 
Maintaining Your Roof
Homeowner maintenance includes cleaning the leaves and debris from the roof’s valleys and gutters.  Debris in the valleys can cause water to wick under the shingles and cause damage to the interior of the roof.  Clogged rain gutters can cause water to flow back under the shingles on the eaves and cause damage.

Typical Problem Areas found during inspections:

• Storm Damage
• Shingles Missing
•  Defective Shingles
• Ice Daming

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that builds up along the edge of a roof. The ice creates a dam that backs water up and under the roof shingles. Once the water is deep enough, it penetrates the roofing system and creates water damage inside the home.
To recognize an ice dam, look for a bulge of ice attached to the eaves or overhang of a roof. There may be icicles hanging from the edge, and you may see stains on the siding. The rain gutters may be overflowing with ice. Often, the bulge of ice is covered with several inches of snow, so you may not see it. Under the buildup of frozen snow is the melting snow and ice—water that is entering your home. If interior damage has already occurred, you will see a wet ceiling and wall or water flowing into widows.

Beneath the ice dam, undetectable damage is occurring in the attic and wall cavities. The wood framing is wet and may be rotting. Insulation is soaked, which makes it inefficient. Mildew and mold can grow in hidden spots, causing odors and other problems inside your home. Soaked framing and insulation will take a long time to dry out and will continue to contribute to wall damage and interior moisture problems. Uncorrected, the water can cause serious structural damage.

To prevent ice dams, your first step should be to eliminate heat buildup in the attic space below the roof deck. You can do this by  improving insulation, stopping air “bypass”, and increasing ventilation. The temperature in the attic space below the roofing should be nearly the same as the outside temperature.

• Poor Ventilation
To fight heat and moisture, you must ventilate year round .
Heat in unventilated attics may cause temperatures to exceed 150 degrees causing damage to shingles , roof sheathing and possibly radiate to the living area. Moisture being the #1 enemy, causes rot, mildew, mold, paint blisters, and renders insulation to be ineffective.

Proper ventilation reduces energy bills, winter ice build up and eliminates mold/mildew which can lead to major health problems. By ventilating, you are extending the life of other building components, shingles , insulation, etc.

• Deteriorated Flashings
Rusted and perforated
No Counter flashing
 
Our inspections consist of the following:
    1.) Written evaluations, photos and recommendations
    2.) Budgets for maintenance, restoration, and re-roofing
    3.) Roof management analysis