Common Roofing Problems And How To Solve Them

The roof is your home’s primary protector from the harsh weather and various other threats. This is why you must maintain it properly. It has to be capable of performing its most essential functions – drainage and insulation. In this article, we are going to go through some of the common roofing problems that you should look out for regularly, and how to take care of them before they turn into much more significant issues.

Damaged or broken roof shingles

One of the ways that extreme weather can affect your roof is wearing away its shingles or even breaking them entirely and leaving behind holes. This will weaken the integrity of the entire structure sooner or later. You can remove all the debris that falls in between the shingles during your regular check-ups, as an attempt to preserve them as long as possible.

However, when a shingle ends up being severely damaged, there’s nothing you can do but replace it. This is a task that you can do yourself. You are going to need a putty knife for breaking the seal first. Once that is done, a flat bar will come in handy for pulling the shingle out and taking out the nails.

It would help if you watched out for the shingles right above because you don’t want to damage them during the process. Put a new shingle in place and use about eight nails to make sure that it stays in place. Finally, all that you need to do is seal it with some roof cement.

Roof leaks

Speaking of broken shingles, they are one of the causes of roof leaks, next to damaged flashing, tiles, and slate. Leaks are probably the most common roofing issue, and it tends to happen close to the chimney, around gutters, at skylights, beneath broken shingles, at flashing points, and next to vents and pipes.

This is a more serious matter that can be prevented by using top-notch roofing materials and checking your roof out regularly. It is also imperative that the installation is performed correctly. Professional roofers suggest that you shouldn’t approach this issue lightly or even on your own.

If you don’t know what you are doing, a simple mistake may end up costing you a lot more.

Standing water

When it comes to issues caused by an excess of water on your roof, damaged or clogged gutters or a faulty HVAC system can be a big problem. These problems can lead to the accumulation of standing water which is another factor that wears out the roof’s stability. Pay close attention during your roof inspections and get rid of any water pools or puddles as soon as possible.

It would be instrumental for you to learn to unblock the gutters yourself. All that you pretty much need is a ladder, bucket, water jet, trowel, and, of course, the patience to carefully remove all of the accumulated debris that is blocking the water from going where it’s supposed to.

Tree damage

Some people love to surround their homes with some beautiful trees that can significantly improve the whole landscape. However, as you can probably imagine, overgrown tree branches are bound to mean trouble for your roof. It is important to note that this includes more than just the situation where lousy weather causes a big tree or its limbs to crash into your home’s main cover.

It could just be the case that the branches are scratching the roof day by day and wearing it out slowly until you end up having a bigger problem. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to get rid of the (idea of) trees in your garden.

Grow them in a proper distance and learn how to prune them so that they don’t pose a threat to the roof.

Final words

When it comes to roofing problems, knowing how to DIY certain things is always a valuable asset that can help you save money. However, specific issues are better left to a professional. A piece of advice you should heed is to find a good roofer and develop a good relationship with them.

This way, you’ll have someone you can trust whenever you end up being in over your head with a particular issue.

About the author

Ayla Anderson is an avid reader and an enthusiastic blogger who writes articles on home improvement, business, Family and beauty. She is also an MBA student who spends much of her time advising new small businesses on how to grow their businesses. You can follow me on Twitter

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