Category: Construction Methods

The roof is an important part of a house and an expensive one at that. Depending on the size and type, putting a new roof in place can cost up to $100,000. Timely repairs increase the life of a roof and hence save money. Here are a few tips to help you know when your roof needs repairs.

Wear around chimneys, vents, pipes, etc.

Usually, a roof is more susceptible to weaken around openings like chimneys, vents, and pipes that penetrate it. Identifying and repairing wear in those areas as early as possible will lend more life to the roof.

Damaged shingles

Periodically inspect your roof for shingles that are missing, starting to crack, curling at the edges, darker in color than others, or wet. Get those replaced to prevent further damage to the roof. If the number of such shingles is very high, you may need a new roof entirely.

Leaks in the attic

It’s a good idea to check your attic regularly, especially after a rainstorm. Wetness in the attic, sagging roof deck or sunlight coming through the roof are signals that all is not well. The reason could be a simple one like some missing shingles or loose/rusty flashing or a complex one like problem with the underlayment. Get a professional inspection of the roof done immediately.

Signs of moisture on the exterior or interior of the house

Blistering or peeling of the exterior paint of the house could mean humidity is building up along your roofline. Similarly, moisture on the ceiling or interior walls could also be a sign of a faltering roof. If you see either of the above, arrange for a roof inspection and get the necessary repairs done.

Roof particles in rain gutters

Cleaning the rain gutters periodically is a good habit. If you notice granules of roofing material, pieces of shingles, or sludge in your gutters regularly, the health of your roof is declining. You should get professional help on the impending roof repairs in such a case.

Roofing system approaching end of life span

Most roofing systems have an average life span of around 20 years, which may increase or decrease depending on the material used and prevailing weather. Is your roof approaching that age? Have your roof maintenance costs surged in recent years? If yes, it’s probably time to plan a complete roof replacement.

Conclusion

If you follow the tips provided in this article often and act on time, the necessary roof repairs will be more localized. That will not only help lower the damage but also increase the overall life of your roof.

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This article will give you the basic steps on roofing or re-roofing a house with an asphalt shingle roof. Unless you have done some roofing before, we strongly suggest that you don’t try this yourself. You might go to all the trouble and then find out you need to start over.

Check the Old Roof First

Why? Because you need to determine if there is one layer of roofing or two. If there is only one layer, you can simply install the new layer on top. If there are two layers already, you will need to remove all the roofing material and start from scratch. Presumably obviously, a second layer is only an option with an asphalt shingle roof. You can’t do this with tile or slate or standing seam metal roofs. Another blog post here talks about what to look for to see if you need a new roof or can just do repairs. Click here.

Safety First

Unless you have a rancher that is only one story, there is a safety issue from falling. Even a one story fall can potentially be fatal. Here are some things to do:

• Make ladders stable with a stabilizer bar or by tying them off
• Only work on a dry roof, never a wet roof
• Wear boots with soft soles for good traction
• Keep everything as clean as possible – roofing debris, tools, dirt
• Use safety equipment – safety glasses, safety net, safety harness-lanyard system

Roof Physics

Gravity is key. The design of a good roof is based on the fact that water will run downhill. The shingles are overlapped so that water will run down and off the house and not into the house. That is why shingled roofs with very little slope tend to have problems and flat roofs need a different technology. Strong winds can blow water up under the shingles or ice damming can cause water to be blocked and move upwards. Steps to prevent these issues are listed below.

Roof Deck Preparation

When a roofer talks about a deck, he is not talking about a place to sit around, relax and have a beer. The deck is the wood (typically plywood or Oriented Strand Board) that the shingles are attached to. If there are any wet or rotted areas they will need to be replaced. There should also be no gaps. It should be smooth and flat.

Bottoms Up

No, not in terms on drinking. You work from the lowest point on the roof and then move up from there until you reach the peak of the roof. You first need a drip edge to prevent any water from wicking upward. In colder climates, there should be also be an ice and water protector membrane applied to the bottom 2 feet of the roof to prevent problems from ice damming.

Underlayment Layer

This is a layer of either synthetic material or asphalt-saturated felt. It typically comes in rolls 4 feet wide that is laid out horizontally on the roof. Put the first layer down at the bottom of the roof and work upwards, overlapping by 2 inches.

Flashing

Flashing is used in places where leaks usually occur. These are places where a roof butts up against a wall or chimney, or in valleys. Flashing is usually metal and should be put in place before the shingles. Snap a chalk line 6 inches in on the flashing and when you put down the shingles, trim to the chalk line.

Other places where flashing or special rubber barriers are needed are dormers and skylights as well as plumbing stacks and vents.

Finally, the Shingles

As indicated earlier, you start at the bottom and work up, always overlapping. Most of the field of the roof are strips of the same shingles. However, the first layer is specially made to be resistant to the wind. Then use the regular shingles as you move up. The nailing is important. The nail needs to be flush to the shingle and not poking up but at the same time, they shouldn’t be over-nailed and tear the fabric of the shingle.

Ridge Caps and Hips

When you get to the top of the roof you need another specialized shingle. You can’t bend a regular shingle over the top. They make special shingles for the roof top/ridge.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea of what goes into installing an asphalt shingle roof.

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If your roof looks like this, you have waited too long to call your roofer. Kidding. This is actually a green roof made with sod. They are good insulators but there isn’t much demand for this yet in the US.

Why Are Roof Repairs Important?

You roof protects your house which is one of the largest investments you will ever make. The longer you wait to repair problems with your roof and gutters, the more expensive the repair is likely to be. Besides helping to insulate the house, the roof and gutter system are key to moving water away from the house. Although other issues can come up related to the roof, water issues are usually at the top of the list.

Rather than just fixing the gutters or some shingles, if you wait too long you will be dealing with rot and mold. And, potentially in the roof and fascia but in rooms below as well. In addition, if it isn’t maintained properly and the water isn’t led away from the house, you can be talking about flooding problems and mold and mildew in your basement.

Where Roof Leaks Usually Occur

If a tree branch has fallen on the house and punched a hole, the source is obvious. However, it usually isn’t that easy. Even if the roof is old, the problem usually isn’t in areas of uninterrupted shingles. Look for leaks at points with flashing such as where the chimney comes through the roof or vent pipes from bathrooms and thing like this.

How to Find Roof Leaks

If you have a water stain in a room, look on the roof from that spot and then look up. Since gravity takes water downhill, the leak can be getting entrance well above where you are seeing the stain. If you can’t find it by looking in the attic then you will have to go onto the roof and look. You probably want a professional to do this unless you have a low roof or are comfortable with that sort of thing.

One way to find a tricky leak is to take a garden hose. Have a helper look inside for when they see water. Start on a low part of the roof and let the water run down in as small an area as possible. Let it run for several minutes before you move it. Move the hose up a bit and let it run for several more minutes. Continue this until your helper sees water. It could take a while but is usually effective.

Shiners

This is the easiest to fix of all and will never generate much water. A shiner is a nail that came through the roof sheath and missed the roof frame. So, it is just sticking out nice and shiny. Water condenses on it and drips down. To solve this problem, just snip it off as close to the roof as possible with cutting pliers.

Plumbing Vent Boots

These are made of different materials. They can be metal, rubber or plastic or a combination. There is usually also a metal piece of flashing designed for vent pipes which goes down first and then the boot on top of that. You might need to replace one or both. The flashing should slip under the uphill shingles and be screwed down on the lower side with a rubber-washered screw. Then put the new boot on.

Walls, Dormers and Caulk

Dormers have side walls and windows. Missing or cracked siding lets water get in there and run down into the roof. Check the siding first. Make sure that you recaulk carefully if there is cracked or old caulk around the windows or anywhere. Replace the caulk to make a firm seal.

We hope you find this useful and prevent any problems from occurring with your roof or gutters.

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