You may want to have a home roofing inspection done before you put your home up for sale or when you want to know if your roof needs to be replaced. You might also want a thorough inspection after a strong storm that caused a lot of damage in your neighborhood. You can hire a roofing contractor to do the inspection so you can find out the condition of your roof and what type of work it needs, if any. These are things roofers look for when doing home roofing inspections.
1. Moisture Damage To The Deck
One of the most important things to look for is a bad deck. When rain gets under the shingles and lands on the deck, the plywood soaks up the moisture. This leads to rotting if the moisture can't dry out fast enough. This might also cause mold damage to the deck.
Since the deck is covered with shingles, the roofer may judge how the deck feels when walking on it to determine if it has moisture damage. The roofer might also use a moisture meter at various points around the deck. It's common to have small areas of moisture damage on a roof deck, and these need to be replaced. However, they're not as dangerous as widespread moisture damage that could cause the roof to sag and be a danger.
2. Damage To The Asphalt Shingles
A roofer can often tell the general age of a roof depending on how the shingles look. When the shingles age, they lose granules. The granules provide color to the roof, and when they wear off, the shingles take on a dark color. When a lot of shingles are gone, it's a sign the roof is old and needs to be replaced soon.
The roof inspector will also look for damaged shingles. Shingles can blister, crack, and curl. Hail damage shows up as round dents that look like bruises. The roofer makes note of all the damage seen and recommends a roof replacement or repairs based on how bad the damage is and how many shingles are involved.
3. Damage To Roof Flashing
Since flashing is made of metal, it's usually durable and lasts the life of the roof. However, flashing can come loose sometimes and let rain roll under it and cause a roof leak. The roofer checks for flashing that's loose, rusty, or damaged. They'll check around pipes, the chimney, skylights, and the roof valley for signs of flashing damage and leaks. If flashing is bad, it needs to be replaced.
Contact a company like Upside Roofing & Siding to learn more.
