Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home, protecting your family and belongings from the outside elements and preventing damage to other structural elements. So when damage occurs, it’s easy to panic. Thankfully, learning the warning signs of a failing roof and catching them early can save you a lot of stress and headaches. Here are three of the most common scary roofing situations and how to handle them.

  1. Leaks. Roof leaks can occur in a number of ways – weathering to gaskets, flashing and vents; rain or ice dams from clogged gutters; missing or damaged shingles; and more. Unless there are missing shingles, it’s likely that you won’t notice a leak until there are visible signs in your home, like water spots on your ceilings or walls. This means that moisture may sit for an extended amount of time, causing mold or rot. The first step is to see if you can identify the source of the leak; it could also be from plumbing or even your windows. If it’s raining, the leak is bad and you can’t get a roofing company out for an emergency repair, see if you can provide your own temporary fix.
  2. Holes. Are you hearing tiny footsteps in your ceiling at night? Holes in your roof can be caused by strong storm winds blowing debris, or because of rot from that leak you didn’t notice. The same issues that can occur from a leak will occur when a hole leaves your home open to rain or snow, and it also creates a convenient entrance for bugs, squirrels and other unwanted visitors that can build nests or chew through insulation and wiring, creating a fire hazard. If you have critters, call a professional to remove them before blocking the hole off. You may be able to repair the hole yourself depending on the size, but a roofing contractor is needed if rot has occurred or the hole is large.
  3. Bad installation. A poor installation job may be the scariest situation of them all, because it can lead to many more issues, including a failing roof system. If you’re noticing issues with your roof within a season or two of having the work done, it’s time to review your contract and call the roofing contractor. If the installers didn’t properly prep the surface or if they didn’t adequately calculate the required ventilation or otherwise cut corners, your roof will age far faster than the expected life of the shingles.

What Can We Do for Your Home Today?

I hope you don’t have any scary roof issues this fall, but if any of these are concerns, it’s better to investigate and address them now, before winter arrives and the problems get worse. Roofing & More is here to help. Call us at [company_number] or complete our convenient form to request a free in-home consultation and estimate in Arlington, Falls Church, Great Falls or any other Northern Virginia community.