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Does Your Home Need a
New Roof
Inspect your Roof a Couple of Times a
Year to Prevent Surprise Roof Leaks
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Your home’s asphalt shingled roof is not self-maintaining and nor will it
last forever. Most asphalt shingle warranties are between 20 and 40 years,
however they often don’t last that long due to high roof and attic
temperatures caused by improperly insulated and ventilated attics. Waiting
until your home has sprung a roof leak can be an extremely expensive
decision. Consequently it’s a smart idea to inspect your roof periodically
to make sure that it is not in need of repair. Early fall and spring are
the best times of the year for determining if your home needs a new roof.
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Inspecting a roof in the fall helps to ensure that you won’t have leaks
during a difficult time of the year (winter) to make repairs. Inspecting a roof
in the early spring enables you to assess how well your roof held up during the
winter and to make any repairs necessary for the usual upcoming wet spring
season.
When inspecting a roof, and before you actually step on the roof, take a close
look at the asphalt shingles to see if you notice and curling, cupping, or
fishmouthing of the shingles. Also look for shingles with concave centers. If
you observe any of these conditions with the shingles, your home is in need of a
new roof. The roof could last another couple of years with these conditions,
however you could also find yourself dealing with damaged ceilings and walls if
the roof suddenly springs a leak.
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When you observe the types of shingle problems I’ve mentioned, I highly
recommend not walking on the roof until you’ve assessed the attic to check the
back side of the roof sheathing. The roof sheathing underneath the decaying
shingles could be rotted and structurally compromised, and as a result you could
find yourself falling through your roof if you were to walk on it.
Also while up on the roof check out the ridge vent, if there is one. Make sure
that none of the shingle caps have been blown off or that nail heads are
exposed.
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If you do observe either of these conditions you do not
necessarily need a new roof. If the rest of the roofing
shingles look fine, then simply replace the missing shingle
caps and/or put a dab of roofing sealer over the exposed nail
heads.
| Again, while up on the roof examine step
flashing around chimneys and along any walls that abut the
roof line. If the chimney flashing is pulling away the
asphalt shingles or separating from the chimney call in a
roofing contractor to make the repairs. These types of
repairs take a bit more skill than the average weekend
DIYer. Also inspect the house siding and step flashing
that is adjacent to any of the roof lines. Make sure the
house siding is not rotting and that the step flashing is
not damaged or corroded in any way. Also make sure to
remove any debris such as twigs and leaves that may be
wedged in between the bottom edge of the siding and the
step flashing. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
Finally, check around any vent pipes to see if the flashing
around them is in good order. Often the roofing sealer that is
applied around the vent pipe and flashing can dry out and
crack. When this happens, roof leaks can occur. If you observe
any cracking of the roof sealer, apply a new bead of it around
the vent pipe.
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For more help on Shingling Your Home's Roof,
see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s
Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet.
The
Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet
will
help to ensure
that
your roof won't end up with a blue tarp over it and a dumpster
sitting in your yard
for weeks
as you wait for the roofing contractor to come back and finish
roofing your home.
Asphalt Shingle Roofing Calculator
Related Information
How to Finance your Roof Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
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