It’s easy when thinking about other home maintenance and repair to forget about your roof. In most situations, all a roof has to do is just “sit there” and cover your home. But once you start seeing water drip from your ceiling, or are told that the musty smell coming from your house is a mold infestation in the attic, it becomes very important to get that roof looked at, find the problem, and then repair it. “Sitting there” may appear to be the primary function of a roof, but, in reality, what it’s doing is protecting the top of your home from the elements, 24/7, 365 days a year, with no break.
If you want to find and fix potential leaks in your roof while they are still small problems, rather than extensive, expensive ones, just keep an eye out for these common issues.
Shingle Leaks
The most commonly occurring problem is leaks caused either loose or outright missing shingles. The shingles on your roof can provide years of faithful protection, but all it takes is a bad storm or years of neglect for shingles to start failing and cause water damage.
Fortunately, this is also the easiest roof repair problem to spot, provided you’re willing to get up on your roof and conduct an inspection. Damaged or missing shingles stand out immediately on a roof that is in otherwise good condition, so you’ll have no issues with locating trouble spots. You will, however, need to have some knowledge about proper shingle replacement if you wish to conduct this repair yourself.
Roof Valley Leaks
Some homes may be simpler structures that have a roof that only consists of two parts forming the familiar triangle. Other homes may have extensions or additional structures that mean that mean that more than one “roof” is required to cover the entire home. In these situations, where the planes of two different roof portions meet, you have the valley.
This is often a natural point of vulnerability for a home, as more water tends to accumulate in these areas, so always be sure to check the roof valley for signs of damage, penetration, and leaks. This can be further compounded if, over time, your roof has begun to sag in certain spots, magnifying the effect of leaks in the roof valley. This roof repair requires quite a bit of knowledge and expertise to effectively repair, however.
Chimney Leaks
For homes that still have a traditional brick chimney built in, the chimney can also be a point of vulnerability. This should come as no real surprise since it is a completely separate component that is joined to the roof. The sealant and other steps taken to minimize the penetration of water from the chimney can eventually fade or erode over time, especially with our harsh Minneapolis winters.
Fortunately, reapplying that sealant or other protective layer is all it usually takes to restore the functionality when you’ve got a leak due to the chimney. This is often an easy and straightforward DIY repair to make.
Always Get Professional Help When You Need It
Of course, for bigger problems in roof repair, don’t take any chances, call in professionals! If you want experts to inspect your roof and even conduct some preventive maintenance and upkeep, or if you already know you have a problem that needs fixing, contact us! We can provide a free roof repair consultation!
